P8A2L1 


Adams 

Historical  Discourse  Delivered 
at  the  Celebration  of  the 
Two-Kimdreth  Amiiversarj-'  of 
the  Forn^tion  of  the  North  Chxvrch 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

Ex  Libria 


■rt.  '. 


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.   /  1 1^  ^  i  I    c^ ^  I. 


An  Historical  Discourse 


DELIVERED   AT   THE   CELEBRATION    OF   THE 


TWO-HUNDREDTH    ANNIVERSARY 


OP   THE    FORMATION   OF 


THE   NORTH   CHURCH, 


<^sLMt^^' 


PORTSMOUTH,    N.H., 


P 


^.AT         .    ..7/.  / 

M.    ADAMS, 


PASTOR    OF   THE   CHL'RCH. 


^.2k.m^.  REV.    GEORGE 


f'UBLlSHED  FOR   THE   CHURCH. 


, ''  CJm^^^  /.^f^^^^j^jW^j^yW.'  -^ 


'  PORTSMOUTH : 

FRANK    W.    ROBINSON. 
1871. 


^-63  S 


OLD  NORTH   MHFTIKCHOI'SB.       RHECT.    1713;    REMOD.    l8'(7  ;    TAKK\   DOWN'   1S54. 


An  Historical  Discourse 

DELIVERED   AT   THE   CELEBRATION   OF   THE 

TWO-HUNDREDTH    ANNIVERSARY 

OF  THE    KOKMAl  ION    OF 

THE    NORTH   CHURCH. 

PORTSMOUTH,    NH., 
JULY  19,  1S71, 

By    rev.    GEORGE    M.    ADAMS, 


PASTOR    Oh'    THE    CHURCH. 


PUBLISHED  FOR    THE   CHURCH. 


PORTSMOUTH : 

FRANK    W.    ROBINSON. 

1871. 


MEMORIAL    SERVICES. 


THE  North  Church  in  Portsmouth,  N.H.,  celebrated 
the  second  centennial  anniversary  of  its  formation 
on  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  days  of  July,  1871.  A 
Committee  of  Arrangements  from  the  church  and  parish 
was  appointed  some  weeks  previously,  to  whom  was  given 
the  entire  charge  of  the  celebration,  and  by  whom  were 
appointed  sub-committees  on  Invitations,  on  Hospitality, 
on  Music,  and  on  Decorations. 

Invitations  were  sent  to  the  former  pastors  who  were 
living,  and  to  former  members  and  their  families,  so  far  as 
they  could  be  ascertained,  to  be  present ;  also  to  many 
churches  and  clergymen  in  this  city  and  other  places. 
There  were  present  of  the  former  pastors  of  the  church, 
Rev.  Henry  D.  Moore  of  Cincinnati,  O.  ;  Rev.  Lyman 
Whiting,  D.D.,  of  Janesville,  Wis.,  and  Rev.  William  L. 
Gage  of  Hartford,  Conn.  ;  and  a  large  number  of  former 
members  and  friends  of  the  church,  and  clergymen  from 
abroad. 


-4    r^/-»/~»MMf-'j.,-w 


6  Memorial  .Services. 

The  Meeting-house  was  elaborately  and  beautifully  deco- 
rated with  evergreen  and  flowers  ;  festoons  and  wreaths 
were  suspended  from  the  ceiling  and  the  galleries,  the 
organ,  and  the  ends  of  the  auditory  ;  and  in  the  recess 
back  of  the  pulpit  was  an  emblematic  device,  with  the 
name  of  the  church,  the  date  of  its  organization,  and  the 
names  of  the  pastors. 

The  singing  was  by  a  volunteer  choir  of  about  forty 
singers,  conducted  by  the  <jrganist  of  the  parish  ;  and  con- 
sisted of  anthems  and  ancient  chorals  and  fugues.  In 
some  of  the  tunes  the  congregation  joined,  and  the  effect 
was  very  grand. 

The  Memorial  Services  were  as  follows  :  — 


WEDNESDAY,    AT   2.30,   P.M. 


VOLUNTARY   ON   THE   ORGAN. 


ANTHEM. 
"Sound  the  Loud  Timbrel." 


SELECTIONS   OF   SCRIPTURE. 

Psalms  Ixxvii.  i,  5,  11-15;  Ixxviii.  2-7,  72;  anT)  cxxii. 

Read  hy  Rf.v.  Henry  D.  Moore,  from  the  Bible  which  belonged 

ID  .Samukl  Haines,  first  Deacon  of  the  Church.    The  Bible 

WAS  OP  THE  Geneva  version,  trinted  in  1699. 


Memorial  Services. 
PRAYER. 

BY    REV.    WILLIAM    L.    GAGE. 


HYMN. 
HY   THE   CHOIR   AND   CONGREGATION. —TuNr,  Mrah 

Oh  !    'twas  a  joyful  .sound  to  hear 

Our  tribes  devoutly  say, 
•'  Up,   Israel,  to  the  temple  haste, 

And  keep  your  festal  dav  !  " 

At  Salem's  courts  we  must  appear, 

With  our  assembled  powers, 
In  strong  and  beauteous  order  ranged, 

Like  her  united  towers. 

Oh,  pray  we  then  for  Salem's  peace  ! 

For  they  shall  prosperous  be, 
Thou  holy  city  of  our  God, 

Who  bear  true  love  to  thee. 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE. 

BY  REV.  GEORGE  M.  ADAMS, 

TWEt.FTH    PASTOR   OF   T»K   CHfRCK. 


In  the  niidst  of  the  discourse  the  pastor  paused,  and 
Rev.  Edward  A.  Rand  read,  and  the  choir  and  congrega- 
tion sang,  to  the  tune  of  Old  Hundred, — 


Memorial  Services. 

All  people  that  on  earth  do  dwell, 
Sing  to  the  Lord  with  cheerful  voice  ; 

Him  serve  with  fear  ;  his  praise  fortli  tell  ; 
Coine  ye  before  him  and  rejoice. 

Oh  !  enter,  then,  his  gates  with  praise  ; 

Approach  with  joy  his  courts  unto  ; 
Praise,  laud,  and  bless  his  name  always. 

For  it  is  seemly  so  to  do. 


PRAVER. 

1!V    RF.V.    DR.    LYMAN    WHITINT,, 


HYMN. 

Rk.\d  by  Rev.  William  \V.  Dow  of  Waterford,  Me,  suno  by 
THE  Choir  anp  Congrkgatio.v.  —  Tune,  St.  Martin's. 

Lf.t  children  hear  the  mighty  deeds, 

Which  God  performed  of  old, — 
Which  in  our  younger  years  we  saw, 

And  wliich  our  fathers  told. 

Our  lips  shall  tell  them  to  our  sons. 

And  they  again  to  theirs  ; 
That  generations  yet  unborn 

May  teach  them  to  their  heirs. 

Thus  they  shall  learn,  in  God  alone 

Their  hope  securely  stands  ; 
That  they  may  ne'er  forget  his  works. 

But  practise  his  commands. 


Memorial  Services. 
BENEDICTION. 

BY   REV.    GEORGE   E.   ADAMS,   D  D. 


On  Wednesday  Evening,  at  7  o'clock,  there  was  a 
social  levee  and  festival  in  the  Chapel  on  Middle  Street ; 
the  company  consisting  of  the  guests  of  the  church  and 
members  of  most  of  the  families  of  the  parish,  —  two 
tickets  being  furnished  to  each  family.  A  blessing  was 
asked  by  Rev.  Dr.  C.  W.  Wallace  of  Manchester,  N.H.  ; 
after  which,  a  sumptuous  collation,  provided  by  the  ladies, 
was  partaken  of  At  8  o'clock  the  doors  were  thrown  open 
to  all ;  and  a  large  party  enjoyed  an  hour  of  social  converse 
with  old  friends  and  new.  The  levee  was  closed  with 
prajer  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Stearns  of  Epping,  N.H. 

On  Thursday  Morning,  at  10  o'clock,  there  were  ser- 
vices in  the  meeting-house,  consisting  mainly  of  addresses 
and  reminiscences  by  former  pastors,  interspersed  with 
singing,  as  follows  :  — 

SINGING. 

"  Strike  the  Cymbal." 


PRAYER. 

BY   REV.   EPHRAIM   W.   ALLEX   OF   HAVERHILL,   MASS. 


SCRIPTURE    READING. 

Psalm  cxxvi. 

From  Rev.  Josiiu.\  Moodev's  Bible,  by  Rev.  S.  H.  Winkley  of  Boston. 


lo  Memorial  Services. 

HYMN. 

RtAii  liv  Kkv.  Wiii.i.iAM  A.  Rand  of  Seabrook,  N.II.  — Tu.ne,  Lknox. 

Ye  tribes  of  Adam,  join 

With  heaven  and  eartli  and  seas, 
And  offer  notes  divine 
To  your  Creator's  praise  : 
Ye  holy  throng  of  angels  bright, 
In  worlds  of  light,  begin  the  song. 


ADDRESS. 

BY   REV.   HENRY   D.   MOORE. 


ADDRESS. 

BY    REV.  LYMAN    WHlTlNli,   D.D. 


SINGING. 
The  Lord  will  comfort  Zion." 


ADDRESS. 

BY   REV.   WILLIAM    L    GAGE. 


ADDRESS. 

BY   REV.   RUFUS   \V.   CLARK,  JuN., 

RBCTOKOPST.  JOIIN*S  CHUKCII  IN  THIS  CITY,  SON  OF  THE  EIGHTH  PASTDK  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


Memorial  Services.  1 1 

SINGING. 

Ancient  Fugue. 
From  the  third  heaven,  where  God  resides,  — 

That  holy,  happy  place,  ^- 
The  New  Jerusalem  comes  down, 

Adorned  with  shining  grace. 

How  long,  dear  Saviour  !   oh,  how  long 

Shall  this  bright  hour  delay  ? 
Fly  swifter  round,  ye  wheels  of  time  ! 

And  bring  the  welcome  day. 


ADDRESS. 

BY    HON.   EZRA   A.   STEVENS    OF   MALDEN,   MASS. 


POEM.  —  "A  Tea-P.\rty  in  the  Old  North  Church." 

BY   REV.    EDWARD   A.    RAND   OF   BOSTON. 


ADDRESS. 

r.V   JOHN   STAYERS,   ESQ. 


ADDRESS. 

BY  REV.  GEORGE  E.  ADAMS,  D.D.,  OF  ORANGE,  N.J. 


1 2  Memorial  Services. 

HYMN. 

BY   THE  CIlUlK   AND   CONGRKGATION.  —  Tune,  Peterhorouch. 

O  Lord  !   our  fathers  oft  have  told, 

In  our  attentive  ears. 
Thy  wonders  in  their  days  performed, 

And  eider  times  than  theirs. 

For  not  their  courage  nor  their  sword 

To  them  salvation  gave  ; 
Nor  strength  that  from  unequal  force 

Their  fainting  troops  could  save. 

As  thee,  their  God,  our  fathers  owned. 

Thou  art  our  sovereign  King  : 
Oh,  therefore,  as  thou  didst  to  them, 

To  us  deliverance  bring ! 


PRAYER   AND   BENEDICTION. 
BY   REV.  GEORGE  E.   SANBORN  OF   HARTFORD,  CONN. 


Oil  TiiURsnAY  Afternoon,  in  the  meeting-house,  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  administered  :  — 

SCRIPTURE    READING    AND    INTRODUCTORY 
REMARKS. 

BY   REV.    WILLIAM    I.   GAGE. 


PRAYER,   REMARKS,   AND    DISTRIBUTION    OF 
THE   BREAD. 

BY   REV.    LYMAN    WHITING,   D.D. 


Memorial  Services.  13 

PRAYER,    REMARKS,   AND    DISTRIBUTION    OF 
THE   CUR 

Vr\   REV.    HENRY   D.    MOORE. 


CONCLUDING   REMARKS. 

BY   THE   PASTOR. 


HYMN. 

SUNG   BY   THE   CONGREGATION. 

Now  to  the  Lord,  who  makes  us  know 
The  wonders  of  his  dying  love. 

Be  humble  honors  paid  below, 
And  strains  of  nobler  praise  above. 

'Twas  he  who  cleansed  our  foulest  sins, 
And  washed  us  in  his  precious  blood  ; 

'Tis  he  who  makes  us  priests  and  kings. 
And  brings  us  rebels  near  to  God. 

To  Jesus,  our  atoning  Priest, 

To  Jesus,  our  eternal  King, 
Be  everlasting  power  confessed  ! 

Let  every  tongue  his  glory  sing. 


BENEDICTION. 


i 


^-M. 


^^^^V^ 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE. 


WE  attempt,  this  afternoon,  to  trace  the  history  of  this 
church  from  that  summer's  day  in  167 1,  when  the 
church  was  organized,  to  the  present  time. 

It  will  be  interesting,  however,  to  glance  at  the  religious 
history  of  the  Piscataqua  Colony  for  the  half-century  which 
preceded  the  formation  of  the  first  church  in  it. 

The  colony  was  planted  in  the  spring  of  1623  ;  but  the 
number  of  the  colonists  was  quite  small  for  the  first  eight 
years,  perhaps  not  exceeding  twenty  or  thirty. '  In  163 1, 
fifty  or  si.xty  new  immigrants  arrived,  including  twenty-two 
women.  The  custom  of  the  other  colonies  in  New  Eng- 
land would  lead  us  to  suppose  that  now,  with  numbers 
approaching  a  hundred,  the  colony  would  have  its  regular 
religious  institutions  ;  but  there  is  no  evidence  of  any 
movement  in  that  direction  till  seven  years  later. 

It  is  to  be  remembered,  in  explanation  of  this  delay,  that 

'  Hubb.ivd,  chap.  x.\.\i.,  says  there  were  only  three  houses  here  in  1631. 


i6  Ilisloriial  Discourse. 

the  settlement  was  less  compact  than  the  most  of  the  other 
ci)lonies.  The  first  landing  had  been  made  at  what  is  now 
Udiorne's  Point,  three  miles  from  this  place.  There  the 
manor-house,  afterwards  called  "  Mason's  Hall,"  was  built, 
and  salt-works  and  fisheries  were  established. 

Tiie  "  Great  House"  was  erected  in  163 1  in  this  vicinity. 
Its  site  is  now  the  corner  of  Court  and  Water  Streets.  The 
larger  number  of  the  colonists  were  divided  between  these 
two  localities,  three  miles  apart.  Some  of  the  settlers 
were  also  on  Great  Island,  and  some,  probably,  within  the 
present  territory  of  Greenland  and  Newington. 

But  no  doubt  there  must  be  added  to  any  other  reasons 
ft)r  the  delay  in  establishing  public  religious  worship  in  the 
colony,  this  weighty  one,  —  that  the  minds  of  the  first  set- 
tlers were  not  much  inclined  towards  religion.  This  has 
been  the  current  opinion  ;  and  there  are  some  hints  in  con- 
temporary writers  which  tend  to  confirm  the  tradition. 
Thomas  Dudley,  afterwards  governor  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Colony,  writing  in  March,  1 631,  from  Boston,  to  the 
Countess  of  Lincoln,  in  i'.ngland,  says,  in  speaking  of  some 
unruly  spirits  in  their  colony,  "Others,  also,  afterwards 
heareing  of  men  of  their  owne  disposition,  which  were 
planted  at  Pascataway,  went  from  us  to  them,  whereby,  tho' 
our  numbers  were  lessened,  yet  we  accounted  ourselves 
nothing  weakened  by  their  removeall." '  Gov.  Winthrop 
makes  a  like  complaint  against  "  those  of  Pascataquack," 
saying  that  "  it  was  their  usual  manner  (some  of  them)  to 
countenance  all  such  lewd  persons  as  fled  from  us  to 
them."  • 

The  Puritan  governors  rnay  not  have  been  entirely  free 

-  N.II.  Ilisl.  Coll.,  iv.  2J2.  *  Winthrop,  i.  269. 


Historical  Discourse.  17 

from  prejudice  in  their  judgment  of  tliis  colony,  but  here 
and  there  an  incident  has  been  preserved  which  makes  it 
hard  for  us  to  combat  their  representations. 

We  are  told  that,  in  December,  1633,  "one  Cowper,  of 
Pascataquack,  going  to  an  island  upon  the  Lord's  Day  to 
fetch  some  sack  to  be  drank  at  the  Great  House,  he  and  a 
boy  coming  back  in  a  canoe  (being  both  drunk)  were 
driven  to  sea,  and  never  heard  of  after."  ^  The  author  of 
"  The  Annals  of  Portsmouth  "  is  authority  for  the  well-known 
story  that  a  reverend  divine,  at  a  later  day,  preaching  here 
against  the  depravity  of  the  times,  said,  "  You  have  for- 
saken the  pious  habits  of  your  forefathers,  who  left  the  ease 
and  comfort  which  they  possessed  in  their  native  land,  and 
came  to  this  howling  wilderness  to  enjoy  without  molesta- 
tion the  exercise  of  their  pure  principles  of  religion."  He 
was  interrupted  by  one  of  the  congregation,  who  said,  "  Sir, 
you  entirely  mistake  the  matter :  our  ancestors  did  not 
come  here  on  account  of  their  religion,  but  to  fish  and 
trade."  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  religious  and  moral 
tone  of  the  colony  was  very  different  from  that  of  the 
Plymouth  and  Bay  Colonies. 

The  first  house  of  worship  in  Portsmouth  was  erected  as 
early  as  1638.  It  stood  where  the  house  of  Mrs.  John  K. 
Pickering  now  stands,  on  Pleasant  Street.  The  first  minis- 
ter was  Rev.  Richard  Gibson.  He  was  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and,  no  doubt,  represented  the  religious  views  of 
the  leading  inhabitants  at  that  time.  He  officiated  in  the 
chapel  in  August,  1638,  and  continued  here  as  late  as 
November,  1640.' 

*  Wintlirop,  i.  120. 

*  Dr.  George  G.  Brewster,  in  Portsmouth  Journal,  July  8,  1S54.  But 
Folsom's   History    of    Saco   and    Biddeford   says,    "  At  the   close   of    1640, 

3 


1 8  Ilislorical  Discourse. 

On  the  2Sth  of  May,  1640,  twenty  of  iIk-  inhabitants  "  of 
the  lower  end  of  Pascataquack "  conveyed  by  deed  to 
Thomas  Walford  and  Henry  Sherburne,  "  Church-wardens 
of  this  Parish,"  and  their  successors,  the  "  parsonage  house 
with  a  chappell  thereto  united,  as  alsoe  fiftie  acres  of  glebe 
land."  "And  forasmuch,"  the  deed  continues,  "as  the  said  pa- 
rishioners have  founded  and  built  ye  said  parsonadge  house, 
chaple  with  the  appurtinances  at  their  owne  proper  costs 
and  charges,  and  have  made  choyse  of  Mr.  Richard  Gibson 
to  be  ye  first  parson  of  ye  said  parsonadge,  soe  likewise 
whensoever  the  said  parsonage  happen  to  be  voyd  by  death 
of  ye  incumbent,  or  his  time  agreed  upon  expired,  that  then 
the  patronadge  pr.sently  and  nomination  of  ye  parson  to  be 
vested  and  remane  in  ye  power  and  election  of  ye  said  pa- 
rishioners or  ye  greater  part  of  them  forever."  The  glebe 
land  conveyed  by  this  deed  was  in  two  parcels.  Thirty- 
eight  acres  of  it  was  "  thus  to  be  taken,  lliat  is  to  say,  ye  full 
tenth  part  of  ye  fresh  marsh  lying  at  ye  head  of  Strawberry 
Banke  Creeke,  and  that  being  meetcd  and  bounded  to  take 
the  remainder  of  the  thirty-eight  acres  next  adjoyning  to  ye 
said  marsh."  Strawberry- Bank  Creek  is  still  known  as  "  the 
Creek  ; "  and  the  land  here  given  lay  probably  some  distance 
west  from  the  creek  bridge.    The  smaller  and  more  valuable 

or  c.irly  in  the  following  year,  Mr.  Gibson  removed  (from  the  vicinity  of 
-Saco)  to  Portsmouth."  The  deed  of  1640  shows  that  Folsom  cmnot  l)e  quite 
right. 

Winthrop  (i.  327),  under  date  Feb  20,  1639-40,  speaks  of  "some  gentle- 
men at  the  ( P.iscataquack)  river's  mouth,  who  had  lately  set  up  common 
prayer." 

In  an  inventory  of  goods  at  Piscataway,  made  July,  1635,  arc  the  following  : 
"For  Religious  Use:  i  great  ISible,  12  service-books,  i  pewter  fl.igon,  I 
communion  cup  and  cover  of  silver,  2  fine  table-cloths,  2  napkins."  — Prm. 
Papers  of  N.  //.,  i.  1 16. 


Historical  Discourse.  19 

portion  of  the  glebe  was  twelve  acres  in  what  is  now  the 
central  part  of  the  city.  It  is  thus  described  in  the  town 
records  :  "  The  twelve  ackers  of  land  belonging  unto  the 
meeting  house  doth  take  its  beginning  from  the  great  pine 
by  the  sayd  house,  west  and  by  south  towards  Goodman 
Humpkins,  his  hous  which  he  bought  of  Roger  Knight,  full 
thirty  polls :  from  the  end  of  the  sayd  thirty  polls,  up  the 
hill,  north  and  by  west,  full  fifty-six  poll :  from  the  sayd  fifty- 
six  polls  end  diu  east  forty-six,  unto  a  forked  pine  marked 
with  three  noches  :  from  the  said  forked  pine,  south  and 
by  east  full  forty-four  polls,  unto  the  befor  menshoned 
great  pine."  As  the  great  pine  and  the  forked  pine  and 
Goodman  Humpkins's  house  are  no  longer  available  land- 
marks, the  glebe  maybe  described  as  a  square  lot  of  land,  of 
which  the  boundary  ran  from  the  east  corner  of  this  church, 
up  Congress  Street,  to  a  point  a  little  beyond  Chestnut 
Street,  so  as  to  include  the  Kearsarge  House ;  thence 
southerly,  parallel  with  Chestnut  Street,  to  the  South  Mill- 
pond  ;  thence  easterly,  passing  this  side  the  Universalist 
Church,  to  Pleasant  Street,  and  up  Pleasant  Street  to  the 
east  corner  of  this  house. 

The  glebe  land  was  in  later  years  controlled  by  the  town, 
which  was  then  identical  with  the  parish  ;  and  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century  the  larger  part  of  this  twelve  acres  was 
disposed  of  upon  long  leases,  very  little  to  the  advantage  of 
church  or  parish. 

After  Mr.  Gibson  left  Portsmouth,  the  chapel  and  glebe 
seem  to  have  been  used,  without  any  question  or  protest,  in 
maintaining  such  forhi  of  worship  as  the  majority  of  the 
inhabitants,  that  is  of  the  parish,  saw  fit  ;  and  that  was  the 
Congregational  form. 


20  Historical  Discourse. 

But  some  have  questioned  whether,  under  the  deed,  the 
chapel  and  glebe  ought  not  to  have  been  reserved  exclu- 
sively for  Episcopal  services.  The  intention  of  the  persons 
who  subscribed  the  deed  of  1640,  can  at  this  day  be  learned 
from  two  sources  only,  —  from  the  language  of  the  deed, 
and  from  the  acts  of  the  subscribers.  The  deed  provides 
that  the  majority  of  the  parishioners  shall  choose  the  "  par- 
son." This  rule  seems  to  have  been  followed.  But,  it  is 
said,  the  clergyman  who  was  officiating  when  the  deed  was 
given  was  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  the  leading  men 
of  this  colony  were  attached  to  that  form  of  worship.  This 
is  very  true.  But  there  is  no  evidence  that  all  who  sub- 
scribed the  deed  were  attached  to  the  Church  of  England. 
It  is,  on  the  contrary,  altogether  probable,  that  some  of  them 
were  not,  and  that  the  deed  was  purposely  drawn  so  as  to 
lay  a  foundation  for  public  worship  in  the  colony,  but  to 
leave  the  choice  of  the  clergyman,  and  so,  of  course,  the 
form  of  worship,  to  be  determined  by  the  vote  of  the  in- 
habitants from  time  to  time.  But  there  is  another  and 
very  important  source  of  information  as  to  the  intention  of 
the  subscribers  to  the  deed  ;  that  is,  their  own  acts  with  re- 
spect to  the  form  of  worship  maintained  in  the  colony. 
Twenty  men  signed  the  deed.  They  conveyed  the  chapel 
and  glebe  to  two  church-wardens.  One  of  the  wardens 
was  a  subscriber  to  the  deed:  the  other  was  not.  Adding 
to  the  twenty  subscribers  the  warden  who  was  not  a  sub- 
scriber, we  have  twenty-one  men  concerned  in  the  deed, 
probably  the  entire  adult  male  population  of  the  colony 
who  were  not  servants. 

There  is,  on  the  town  records,  a  list  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Portsmouth,  who,  in  1659,  subscribed  to  the  maintenance 


Historical  Discmirse.  21 

of  Mr.  Moodey  ;  and  there  is  a  similar  list  of  the  subscribers 
in  1671.  Of  the  twenty-one  men  who  \vere  concerned  in 
the  deed  of  the  glebe,  five  had  died  before  1659 ;  one  had 
gone  from  the  country  ;  the  names  of  eight  others  do  not 
appear  in  a  list  of  the  inhabitants  in  the  year  1657,  and 
these  eight  therefore  had,  no  doubt,  either  died  or  removed 
from  Portsmouth.  Seven  only  of  the  twenty-one  were  liv- 
ing here  in  1659.  Of  these  seven,  six,  including  both 
the  church-wardens  named  in  the  deed,  subscribed  to  the 
maintenance  of  Mr.  Moodey.  It  is  uncertain  whether 
the  seventh  subscribed  or  not.  In  1671,  three  only  of  the 
twenty-one  connected  with  the  deed  of  thirty  years  before 
were  living  in  Portsmouth  :  two  of  these  subscribed  then  to 
Mr.  Moodey's  support.  The  third  refused  to  do  so  :  he  had 
subscribed  in  1659,  and  had  previously  been  active  in 
measures  for  obtaining  Congregational  ministers  to  preach 
in  the  chapel.  The  fact,  that,  almost  without  exception,  the 
men  who  gave  the  chapel  and  glebe,  so  far  as  they  were 
still  here,  co-operated  in  sustaining  Congregational  worship 
on  that  foundation,  does  not  show  of  necessity  that  they 
were  not  adherents  to  the  Church  of  England  ;  but  it  does 
show  that  they  assented  to  the  use  which  was  made  of  the 
glebe,  and  it  implies  that  they  saw  in  that  use  no  perver- 
sion of  the  gift.* 

In  1 64 1  Portsmouth  and  Dover  put  themselves  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts  ;  and  in  May,  1642,  the  au- 
thorities of  Massachusetts  suspended,  so  far  as  these  towns 
were  concerned,  the  law  restricting  the  right  of  suftrage  to 
members  of  the  church,  and  provided  that  "  each  inhabitant 

''  Two  of  the  .signers  of  the  deed  (apparently)  became  afterwards  members 
of  this  church. 


2  2  Historical  Discourse. 

of  Piscataqiia  who  was  ])reviously  free "  should  have  "the 
liberty  of  a  freeman  in  the  management  of  municipal  affairs 
and  election  of  deputies  to  the  General  Court,  though  he 
be  not  a  church-member." ' 

Mr.  Gibson  was,  so  far  as  is  known,  the  only  Episcopal 
clergyman  who  officiated  here  in  the  early  history  of  the 
colony.  Soon  after  he  left,  Mr.  James  Parker,  who  was  of 
the  Congregational  church,  but  who  had  not  before  been  a 
minister,  came  by  invitation  of  the  town,  and  preached  with 
much  success.  Gov.  Winthrop  says,  in  December,  1642, 
"  those  of  the  lower  part  of  the  river  Pascataquack  inviti'd 
one  Mr.  James  Parker  of  Weymouth,  a  godly  man  and  a 
scholar,  one  who  had  been  many  years  a  deputy  for  the 
public  court,  to  be  their  minister.  He,  by  advice  of  divers 
of  the  magistrates  and  elders,  accepted  the  call,  and  went 
and  taught  among  them  this  winter;  and  it  jileased  God  to 
give  great  success  to  his  labors,  so  as  above  forty  of  them, 
whereof  the  most  had  been  very  profane,  and  some  of  them 
professed  enemies  to  the  way  of  our  churches,  wrote  to  the 
magistrates  and  elders,  acknowledging  the  sinful  course 
they  had  lived  in,  and  bewailing  the  same,  and  blessing  God 
for  calling  them  out  of  it,  and  earnestly  desiring  that  Mr. 
Parker  might  be  settled  amongst  them."  But  Mr.  Win- 
throp adds,  "  most  of  them  fell  back  again  in  time,  embra- 
cing this  present  world." "  Mr.  Parker  probably  remained 
here  about  three  years,  as  a  letter  of  his  to  Gov.  Winthrop 
is  preserved,  dated,  "  Straw  Berrie  Bancke  the  28th  of  the 
5th  '45  ;""  and,  by  another  letter,  he  appears  to  have  been 
at  Barbadoes  in  April,  1646.     It  is  not  known  who  preached 

'  Felt's  Ecclcs.  Hist,  of  New  Eiigl.iiul.  *  Winthrop,  il   93. 

•  IV.  Mass.  Hist.  Coll.,  vii.  441,  ff.     Hutchinson  I'apcrs,  155. 


Historical  Discourse.  23 

here  from  1646  to  1653  ;  but  the  town  records  have  entries 
respecting  "  the  rate  for  the  minister's  wages,"  &c.,  which 
indicate  that  rehgious  services  were  not  altogether  sus- 
pended through  those  years. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  in  this  plantation,  including 
the  present  territory  of  Portsmouth,  Newcastle,  Rye, 
Greenland,  and  Newington,  had  risen  in  1653  to  about  two 
hundred. 

The  third  preacher  in  Portsmouth,  of  whom  we  have 
knowledge,  was  Mr.  James  Brown.  It  stands  in  the  town 
records,  that,  "  at  a  publique  meeting  held  the  eleventh  of 
Aprill,  1655,  the  inhabitants  do  generally  acknowledge  that 
they  are  willing  that  Mr.  Browne  should  continue  their 
minister  as  he  hath  been,  if  he  be  so  pleased."  Mr.  Brown 
was  from  Newbury,  of  which  he  had  been  one  of  the  first 
settlers,  having  come  over  from  Southampton  in  1635.  He 
preached  in  Portsmouth  probably  from  1654  or  earlier  to 
1656.  He  was,  like  Mr.  Parker,  not  an  ordained  minister  ; 
and  it  is  not  known  that  he  continued  to  preach  after  his 
service  in  Portsmouth.  Both  Mr.  Parker  and  Mr.  Brown 
were  laymen  of  mature  years  and  approved  Christian 
character,  who  were  induced  to  supply  for  a  time  this 
destitute  field. 

The  town  records  give  account  of  repeated  efforts  to 
secure  a  minister  during  the  two  years  after  Mr.  Brown  left. 
Oct,  7,  1656:  "It  is  agreed  upon  that  Henry  Sherburne 
is  to  goe  to  the  westward  in  behalf  of  the  whole  town  to 
seek  and  inquire  for  an  able  and  sufficient  minister,  the 
town  paying  him  for  his  pains."  Oct.  27,  1656:  "It  is 
agreed  upon  this  town  meeting  and  voted  to  send  to  Mr. 
Samuel  Dudlow  to  give  us  a  visit  to  treat  with  him  to  bee 


34  Historical  Discourse. 

our  minister."  Nov.  lo,  1656:  "This  day  the  townsmen 
have  agreed  with  Mr.  Dudlow  to  be  our  minister,  and  to 
come  unto  us  this  ne.Kt  spring,  and  to  have  fourscore 
pounds  the  yeare."  This  was  Rev.  Samuel  Dudley  of 
Exeter,  son  of  Gov.  Thomas  Dudley  of  Massachusetts.  If 
he  came  to  Portsmouth  in  the  spring  of  1657,  according  to 
the  agreement  just  named,  his  stay  was  brief  He  had 
been  preaching  some  years  at  Exeter,  and  remained  there 
till  his  death  in  1683.  In  September,  1657,  "The  selectmen 
sent  Henrie  Sherburne  to  goe  to  Mr.  Woster  with  a  call 
from  the  towne  to  be  our  minister,  in  case  the  town  and 
he  can  agree,  he  giving  us  a  visit."  This  was  probably 
Rev.  William  Worcester  of  Salisbury,  Mass. ;  but  he  did 
not  permanently  leave  his  parish  there. 

All  the  ministers  in  Portsmouth,  down  to  this  time,  had 
preached  in  the  chapel  on  Pleasant  Street.  In  August, 
1657, '"  the  town  authorized  the  selectmen  to  build  a  new 
meeting-house,  which  was  erected  on  the  rise  of  ground  a 
few  rods  south-east  from  the  South  Milldam,  on  the  spot 
where  the  house  of  Francis  S.  Roberts  now  stands. 

In  Rockingham  County  Records,  vol.  ii.  folio  34,  is  the 
following  document :  "  — 

'"  In  1657,  the  citizens  of  Portsmouth  above  twenty-one  years  of  age  num- 
bered eighty-two,  indicatmg  a  population  of  perhaps  three  hundred. 

"  This  agreement  is  dated.2d_iflt,h^Mo.  1659,  i.e.,  Dec.  2,  1659.  I  suspect 
some  mistake  in  this  date.  For  Pendleton,  the  Cutts.  Sherburne,  and  Seavey 
were  the  selectmen,  authorized  in  1657  to  build  the  meeting-house  ;  and  they 
were  not  selectmen  in  1659.  Moreover  the  tqwn  records,  under  date  of 
March  1,  1658-59,  speak  of  difficulty  with  an  individual,  "  conserninge  some 
affronts  in  giving  distast  conserninge  placingjhejejghhnrs  in  th<-  se.its  in  the 
new  meeting-house." 

This  meetinghouse  was  not  built  without  some  difference  of  opinion  in  the 
town.     In  the  records  of  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  May  6,  1657,  it 


Historical  Discourse.  25 

"  Articles  of  agreem!  made  \v'^  Jn.  Huchins  of  y'  one  party  & 
Cap.'  Brya.  Pendleto"  John  Cutt  &  RIcVk  CuU  Hen  :  Sherburne 
W!"  Seauy  in  y'  behalfe  of  the  Towne  of  portsmouch  y'  other 
partie  fo'  y"  building  of  a  Meeting  houfe  &  repairing  y'  old  meet- 
ing  houfe  &  to  finifh  it  &  fitt  it  up  for  a  Dwelling  houfe  fo''  our 
Minister.  The  Meeting  houfe  to  be  made  &  finished  of  thefe 
demencons  following  —  40  ffeete  square  &  16  ffeete  wall  plate 
high  —  A  flat  Ruff  &  substanciall  turrett  w"'  a  galler)-  about  it. 
substanciall  Grownd  fills,  wall  plates  &  fide  posts  of  oake.  A 
maine  piller  w"*  braces  of  oake  to  be  futably  carved  &  y"  Arch 
worke.  A  piller  to  y*  Rooff  w"*  fufificient  braces,  the  fides  to  be 
of  Loggs  9  Inches  thick,  let  into  y'  fide  posts  w""  a  rabbet  —  12 
windowes  well  fitted  3  fubstanciall  doers,  a  complete  pulpet  to 
reach  y'  two  midle  posts,  the  fides  of  y'  houfe  plained  6  foot  high 
y*  flowers  to  be  lade  w*  oke  sleepers.  &  to  be  finished  with 
planke  Alfoe  y'  s'?  Huching  hath  engaged  hemfelfe  to  repair  the 
old  meeting  houfe  &  to  make  it  a  fit  dwelling  houfe  in  manner  as 
foUoweth  (i)  3  grownd  cills  to  Lay  2  at  y°  sides  of  one  p'  of  y' 
houfe  &  one  at  y^  end  of  y*^  same.  (2'')  to  board  y"  out  fide  of 
y"  houfe  fro  fill  to  plate  &  y°  gable  ends,  &  y"  boards  to  be 
champard.  (3'-')  to  fitt  timber  worke  for  fouf  chimneys.  (4'*)  to 
make  2  p'  of  staires  one  to  y°  chambers  y'  oth'  to  y' celler.  (5'*') 
A  Garret  flower  &  window  at  y*  east  end  of  y"'  chamber.  (6'^)  all 
dores  &  carpenters  worke  for  finnifiiing  &  cielling  the  Inside  to 

stands :  "  In  answer  to  the  petition  of  several  inhabitants  of  Portsmouth,  it  is 
ordered  in  answer  to  this  petition  for  the  settling  of  a  minister,  as  also  meeting- 
house at  Portsmouth  and  for  prevention  of  further  inconveniences  touching 
the  same,  that  the  petitioners  nominate  and  choose  one  man,  the  rest  of  the 
inhabitants  another,  and  the  County  Court  at  Dover  a  third,  who  are  hereby 
authorized  to  eoe  on  the  place,  and  to  heare  what  on  both  sides  shall  be  al- 
Icdged  in  the  premises,  and  determine  the  same  as  they  shall  judge  best  condu- 
cing to  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  town."  —  Prffv.  Papers  of  N.  H.,  i.  22S, 
from  Mass.  Ket'ords. 
4 


26  Historical  Discourse. 

y'  plate  and  fitting  y*  place  for  y*  fower  brick  chimneys  &  cut  y' 
coller  beanie  &  make  dore  wayes  in  y'  chambers  &  dores  from 
y'  wall  plate  to  y*  garret  floores,  flfor  w""  s'  worke  the  pties  abouef 
doe  bind  themfelves  in  behalfe  of  y*  Towne  to  pay  to  y'  f  Hutch- 
ins  140  :  pounds  in  shop  goods  purtion  &  some  money  to  y'  uallue 
of  5  pounds  &  cattle  In  witnifs  whereof  we  all  have  fet  to  o' 
hands  this  2":  10'!"  mo  1659  The  said  pay  before  exprefsed  is  to 
be  p*  according  to  time  as  follow""  To  say  when  y'  old  meeting 
houfe  is  repaired  &  y'  timber  fo'  y'  new  meeting  house  brought  in 
place  there  is  on  fowerth  part  to  be  p*  to  y*  workman  (2'^)  w°  y' 
new  houfe  is  all  framed  then  one  quarter  p'  is  to  be  p*  more  (3'^) 
when  the  houfe  is  raifed  &  couered  then  is  y'  third  part  to  be  p*  & 
Lastly  wheh  it  is  finished  the  last  paym*  is  to  be  p''  to  y'  said  John 
Huchins  to  all  w'""  we  have  Joyntly  sett  to  o'  hands  the  day  and 
yeare  before  exprefsed.  the  boards  navies  &  plankes  Loggs  and 
Timber  is  to  be  brought  in  place  at  y'  charge  of  y'  Towne. 


Witnefs  John  Huggin    Brian  pendleton  \  Hen  :  SherbureI 
Ei)W:Melcher       John  Cirr  MVSeauv  J 

Rich  :  CuTr  ) 

JoHiN  Huchinson    IH    his  marke." 


Not  far  from  the  time  when  the  new  meeting-house  at 
the  South  Milldam  was  completed,  a  young  man,  twenty- 
six  years  of  age,  came  to  Portsmouth  to  preach,  who  was  to 
have  a  much  larger  share  in  shaping  the  religious  character 
of  the  town  than  any  who  had  preceded  him. 

Joshua  Moodev  was  born  in  Wales  in  1632,  and  was 
brought  to  this  country  in  the  following  year  by  his  father, 
William  Moodey.  '*     The  family  spent  a  year  or  two  in  Ips- 

'■'  I  am  much  indebted  for  the  early  history  of  Joshua  Moodey  to  Bio- 
graphical Sketches  of  the  Moody  Family,  by  C.  C.  P.  Moody,  and  to  a 
manuscript  lecture  on  Joshua  Moodey,  by  the  late  Rev.  Tobias  H.  Miller. 


Historical  Discourse.  27 

wich,  and  removed  to  Newbury  with  the  first  settlers  of 
that  town  in  1635.  Among  these  settlers,  William 
Moodey  was  the  blacksmith  or  the  saddler  of  the  colony ; 
and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  he  united  the  two  trades.  His 
wife's  name  was  Sarah. 

Joshua  Moodey  received  his  early  education  at  Newhury, 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1653,  and  studied  theol- 
ogy. While  at  Cambridge,  he  had  made  a  public  profession 
of  religion,  and  joined  the  church  in  that  town.  Mr. 
Moodey  probably  came  to  Portsmouth  near  the  close  of  the 
year  1658,  or  early  in  1659."  Mr.  Moodey,  while  at  Cam- 
bridge, had  formed  acquaintance  in  the  family  of  "a  good 
man  called  ("Edward]  Collins,  the  Deacon  of  the  church." 
There  were  five  sons  and  three  daughters  in  the  family. 
One  of  the  sons,  named  John,  graduated  at  the  college  in 
the  year  in  which  Mr.  Moodey  entered,  and  was  afterward 
a  celebrated  preacher  in  London,  where  he  looked  after  the 
interests  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony.'*  Another  son, 
Nathaniel,  was  the  "  much-esteemed  minister  "  at  Middle- 
town,  Conn.  The  oldest  daughter,  Sibyl,  became  the  wife 
of  Rev.  John  Whiting,  first  pastor  of  the  Second  Church  in 
Hartford.  But  our  interest,  as  was  Mr.  Moodey's,  is  spe- 
cially for  a  younger  daughter,  named  for  her  mother,  Martha. 
She  came  to  Portsmouth,  probably  in  the  year  1660,  a  bride 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  perhaps  the  first  minister's  wife 
that  Portsmouth  had  seen.      The  housekeeping  began  in 

'^  Adams's  Annals  makes  Mr.  Moodey  commence  his  labors  here  in  the 
beginning  of  165S ;  and  all  later  historians  have  copied  his  statement.  But 
the  date  of  the  subscription  for  his  support,  in  the  town  records,  is  "  14  :  12 
mo.  1658,"  i.e.,  Feb.  14,  1658,  e.xpressed,  of  course,  in  old  style,  which,  in  the 
present  method  of  dating,  is  Feb.  14,  1659.  . 

•^   Hutchinson  Papers,  435. 


2.S  Historical  Discourse. 

tlic  parsonage,  into  which  the  chapel  on  Pleasant  Street 
had  been  converted.''* 

The  congregation  increased  from  year  to  year  under  Mr. 
Moodey's  ministrations.  When  he  had  been  here  two 
years,  the  meeting-house  was  crowded,  and  it  was  proposed 
to  put  in  a  gallery.'*  Two  years  more  passed  before  the 
change  was  actually  made  ;  but  in  April,  1664,  the  select- 
men agreed  with  I  lenry  Sayward  of  York,  to  repair  and 
finish  the  meeting-house,  build  galleries,  and  hang  the  bell ; 
and  the  work  was  promptly  completed.  I'>ut  in  a  few- years 
tlic  house  was  crowded  again. 

In  1669,  there  was  granted  to  "  Mr.  ffryer  "  the  towne's 
right  of  twentie  foote  square  of  land  between  the  path  and 
Mr.  Coming's  fieence  neere  the  meeting-house  to  sett  up  a 
house  and  keep  wood  in  for  to  accommodate  himself  and 
family  in  winter  time  when  he  comes  to  meeting."  This 
record  gives  a  suggestion  of  certain  peculiar  structures  near 
the  meeting-house,  which  were  common  in  New  England 
one  or  two  centuries  ago.  There  was  no  fire  in  the  meet- 
ing-house ;  and,  in  severe  winter  weather,  those  who  came 
from  a  distance  needed  some  refuge  in  the  intermission  be- 
tween the  services.     Some,  of  course,  went  to  neighboring 

"  This  building  had  passed  througli  repeated  changes.  First  it  was  de- 
scribed .IS  a  "  parson.ige  house  with  chapel  attached,"  when  the  number  of 
inhabitants  required  but  narrow  accommodations  for  public  worship.  Then 
later,  all  of  It  appears  to  have  been  used  for  a  chapel,  or  meeting-house,  as  the 
colony  increased  ;  .ind  at  length,  when  the  meetinghouse  at  the  .South  Mill- 
dam  w.as  built,  this  was  changed  again  into  a  dwelling-house  for  the  pastor. 

'"  Sept.  25,  1662.  At  a  town-meeting,  "  ordered  that  a  cage  be  made  to 
punish  such  as  sleepe  or  take  tobacco  on  the  Lord's  Day  out  of  the  meeting, 
in  time  of  publiqiie  e.tercise." 

'■   I'robablv  Nathaniel  Krvcr  of  Newcastle. 


Historical  Disconrsc.  29 

houses  of  their  friends.  Others  built  for  themselves  what 
were  called  "  Sabba-day  Houses,"  or  "  Noon  Plouses." 
Sometimes  four  or  more  persons  imited  in  building  one 
with  four  rooms,  each  ten  or  twelve  feet  square,  and  contain- 
ing a  fire-place.  On  sabbath  morning,  the  family  came 
early,  built  a  fire,  and  warmed  themselves  before  the  morn- 
ing service.  At  noon  they  returned  to  their  little  room, 
with  invited  friends,  to  eat  their  luncheon  with  cider  from 
the  cellar,  to  discuss  the  morning  sermon,  to  read  the  Bible 
or  some  other  religious  book,  and  perhaps  to  unite  in  prayer. 
At  the  close  of  the  services  of  the  afternoon,  if  the  weather 
was  severely  cold,  they  returned  to  the  noon-house  to  warm 
themselves  before  going  home.  The  fire  was  then  extin- 
guished, the  saddle-bags  gathered  up,  and  the  house  locked 
up  till  the  next  sabbath.'" 

It  was  not  till  Mr.  Moodey  had  preached  here  twelve 
years,  and  had  gathered  a  congregation  which  could  hardly 
find  room  in  the  meeting-house,  that  steps  were  taken  to- 
wards the  formation  of  a  church.  The  oft-quoted  "  account 
of  the  gathering  ye  Church  of  Christ  in  Portsmouth,"  which 
may  still  be  read  in  Mr.  Moodey's  clear  hand  in  the  first 
volume  of  the  records  of  this  church,  is  too  important  to 
be  omitted  or  condensed  here.  It  is  a  model  of  simple 
Christian  narrative. 

"Portsmouth,  N.E.  Anno  1671. 

"  After  many  serious  endeavors  wch.  had  been  used  by  ye  then 
minister  of  ye  place  (since  ye  pastor  of  ye  churcli  tliere)  in  pub- 

"*  These  details  are  condensed  from  an  Historical  Discourse  by  Rev. 
George  H.  Morss  of  Townsend,  Mass.  One  of  tliese  relics  of  the  olden  time 
is  still  standing  at  Townsend,  occupied  as  a  dwelling-house. 


30  Historical  Discourse. 

liq.  and  by  several!  of  ye  Inhabitants  in  Private  ;  ye  Lord  (without 
whose  p.sence  and  Blessing  man  builds  but  in  vaine)  was  pleased 
at  length  to  lay  ye  Foundation  of  an  House  for  himself  in  this 
place, 

"  Of  ye  Beginning  and  progress  whereof  here  followes  a  briefe 
but  true  Account. 

"In  ye  \Vinter  Time  of  ye  foregoing  yeare  (viz.  1670)  there 
were  severall  meetings  together  of  ye  minister  with  sev'll.  of  ye 
Inhabitants  (who  were  Members  of  other  Congregations  in  ye 
Country  and  by  providence  settled  Inhabitants  in  Portsmo.)  to 
discourse  and  confer  about  yt.  greate  worke  &  Necessary  Duty  of 
entering  into  Church  Fellowship,  yt.  themselves  might  enjoy  all 
ye  ordinances  of  ye  Lord's  House,  &  theyr  little  ones  also  might 
bee  laid  neer  God's  Altars  &  brought  up  under  ye  Instruction  and 
Discipline  of  his  House.  Nor  could  they  yt.  were  members  of 
other  churches  any  longer  satisfy  themselves  to  live  without  ye 
enjoyment  of  those  edifying  &  strengthening  ordinances  yt.  theyr 
soules  had  in  some  measure  formerly  tasted  ye  good  of,  tho.  now 
for  some  yeares  been  kept  from  ;  Others  also,  well  affected  to  ye 
worke,  professed  theyr  longings  after  those  fatt  and  marrowed 
things  in  God's  house,  &  theyr  readiness  to  joyne  with  ym.  in 
helping  to  build,  if  they  should  be  found  fitt  for  ye  same. 

"  Hereupon  sev'll.  assembled  in  Private  &  sought  ye  Lord  by 
fiisting  and  prayer  yt.  hee  would  discover  to  us  a  right  way  (there 
being  many  feares  &  discouragements  before  us)  for  ourselves  & 
little  ones  (Ezra  8:21,  22,  23),  &  wee  hope  wee  may  say  hee  was 
entreated  of  us,  as  ye  Event  hath  in  some  measure  (blessed  bee 
his  name)  made  manifest. 

"  It  was  agreed  yt.  those  wch.  were  in  Full  Communion  with 
other  Congreg'ns.  already,  should  acquaint  ye  respective  churches 
to  wch.  they  did  belong  with  ye  motion  on  foot,  &  desire  theyr 
Advice,  approbation,  countenance  &   prayers  therein,  wch.  was 


Historical  Discourse.  31 

accordingly  clone.  There  was  a  meeting  appointed  in  a  private 
House,  wherein  all  that  had  given  in  theyr  names  for  ye  worke 
were  to  assemble,  &  to  rend'r.  each  to  other  a  reason  of  ye  hope 
yt.  was  in  them,  by  giving  account  of  theyr  Knowledge  &  Experi- 
ence, yt.  so  they  might  bee  satisfied  one  in  another,  &  bee  capable 
of  joyning  together  as  members  of  ye  same  bodj-.  Several!  dales 
were  spent  in  this  exercise,  to  ye  mutuall  refreshing  &  endearing 
of  ye  speakers,  &  to  ye  awakening  &  warning  of  others  of  ye 
Neighbors  that  were  (as  any  had  liberty  to  bee)  present  at  those 
exercises. 

"  In  Fine,  there  was  another  meeting,  to  enquire  whether  all 
that  had  made  Relations  were  so  satisfied  one  in  another  as  to 
theyr  Relations  &  Conversations,  as  that  they  could  with  Free- 
dome  of  Spirit  joyne  in  a  body  together,  &  unite  in  ye  same  So- 
ciet)',  according  to  )e  Rules  of  Christ.  What  ground  of  scruple 
lay  upon  ye  spirits  of  any  with  reference  to  one  or  other  of  the 
fore-mentioned  Company,  was  lovingly  and  plainly  propounded, 
&  Satisfaction  was  Ingenuously  tendered  on  ye  one  Party  &  ac- 
cepted by  ye  other. 

"  Furthermore,  wee  did  discourse  of  &  discov'r.  our  Apprehen- 
sions &  perswasions  concerning  ye  Order  &  Discipline  of  ye 
House  of  God,  &  there  was  a  unanimous  Consent  unto  what  had 
been  publiq.ly  dd.  in  many  Sermons  in  ye  latter  end  of  )'e  yeare, 
1670  &  ye  Beginning  of  ye  yeare  167 1  from  Ezek.  43  :  10,  11,  12, 
about  ye  Lawes,  ordinances  &  Formes  of  ye  House,  with  ye  goings 
out  thereof  &  ye  comings  in  thereof.  Of  such  high  concernment 
did  &  doe  we  account  it  to  bee  for  ye  Peace  &  Edification  of  ye 
whole,  yt.  both  Pastor  &  People  should  in  those  matters  (at  least 
for  ye  substance,  &  as  neer  as  may  bee  in  mere  Circumstantialls 
also)  speake  ye  same  things.  Hereupon  there  were  some  ap- 
pointed to  acquaint  ye  Civill  Authority  (according  to  ye  law  of  ye 
Country)  with  what  was  thought  on  among  us,  yt.  by  the  good 
likeing  &  Incouragem't.  of  ve  same  wee  might  make  an  orderly 


32  Historical  Discotirsc. 

&  comfortable  procedure  in  ye  worke  before  us,  which  being 
(ion 

"  Severall  churches  were  sent  to  and  intrcatcd  to  send  theyr 
Elders  &  Messengers  upon  ye  wch.  \vs.  ap- 

pointed for  ye  Gathering  of  ye  Church  &  Ordination  of  officers 
therein.  The  church  of  Cambridge  was  sent  to,  because  ye  Pas- 
tor did  belong  to  that  church,  they  brought  Jiis  Dismission.  Also 
ye  church  of  Ipswich,  Rowley,  &  Hampton. 

"  They  met  accordingly,  &  Gov'r  Leveret  came  also.  He  yt. 
was  Appointed  for  Pastor  preacht.  in  ye  morning  out  of  Ezek.  48  : 
ult.  After  sermon  some  Intermission  ws.  made,  &  on  theyr  meet- 
ing again,  the  Pastor  with  all  those  who  were  to  be  the  Beginners 
of  the  church,  made  theyr  Relations,  &  those  who  were  Members 
of  other  churches  had  theyr  dismissions  (&  all  made  theyr  Rela- 
tions whether  members  or  non-members)  &  they  wr.  approved  of 
by  ye  Messengers  of  churches,  &  Imbodied  into  a  church  by  an 
e.xplicite  covenant.  Then  ye  Pastor  was  ordained  after  ye  unani- 
mous vote  of  ye  church  for  ye  choice  of  him,  &  liberty  given  to 
all  ye  Congreg'n.  to  object  if  they  had  ought  to  say.  He  was 
ordained  by  severall  of  ye  Elders  (at  ye  desire  of  ye  church)  Mr. 
Cobbet  giving  him  his  charge,  &  Mr.  Wheelwright  the  right  hand 
of  ffcllowship. 

"Then  ye  Pastor  ordained  Sam.  Haines  Deacon,  with  imposi- 
tion of  Hands  &  pray'r.  A  Psalm  was  sung,  &  ye  Congregation 
dismissed  by  ye  Pastor  with  a  prayer  and  Blessing. 

"  The  names  of  them  yt.  first  imbodied. 

Joshua  Moodey.  Cn.  Elias  Stileman.     Cn.  James  Pendleton. 

Mr.  )no.  CutL  Mr.  R.  Marty n.  Mr.  J  no.  ffletcher. 

Mr.  R.  Cutt.  Sam.  Haines.  lolin   Tucker. 


Historical  Discourse.  33 

"  The  Cluirch-Covenant  that  those  who  first  imbodicd  did  on 
yt.  Day  publiq.'ly  &  solemnly  enter  into.  —  167 1 

"  Wee  doo  this  Day  solemnly  &:  publiq.'ly  in  ye  presence  of 
God  &  his  people  avouch  the  one  only  living  cSc  true  God,  ffather, 
Son  &  Spirit,  to  bee  our  God,  &:  his  Word  or  revealed  Will  to  be 
our  Rule,  &  doo  with  ourselves  give  up  our  Children  to  be  the 
Lord's.  We  doo  also  professedly  &  heartily  subject  ourselves  to 
Jesus  X'  as  ye  Head  of  his  church,  &  doo  covenant  &  promise 
yt.  we  will  submit  ourselves  to  ye  Government  of  XJ  in  this  par- 
ticular church  according  to  ye  lawes  of  his  House,  that  we  will 
watch  over  our  Brethren  &  be  watcht  over  by  ym.  according  to 
Rule,  &  yt.  we  will  in  althings  so  demean  ourselves  towards  our 
Pastor  &  fellow-members  as  also  tow'ds.  all  others  as  becomes  ye 
Gospell,  yt.  ye  Lord  may  dwell  among  us  &  blesse  us,  &  we  may 
be  a  peculiar  people  to  his  service  &  glory.  And  all  this  we 
promise  by  ye  Help  of  Jesus  Christ,  &  in  his  Name,  looking  up 
to  him  for  his  Assistance,  as  being  of  ourselves  capable  of  doing 
nothing. 

"  Subscribed  by  ye  above  mentioned  Persons." 

In  Mr.  Moodey's  account,  which  I  have  read,  there  is  a 
blank  for  the  date.  At  the  time  of  writing,  which  may  have 
been  some  years  after  1671,  he  apparently  did  not  remember 
the  date,  and  purposed  to  insert  it  at  his  convenience.  The 
tirne  never  came ;  and  we  have  no  original  evidence  on 
what  month  and  day  the  church  was  formed.  But  there  is 
no  doubt  the  month  was  July ;  and  it  is  well-nigh  certain  the 
day  was  either  the  eleventh  or  the  twelvth  (old  style).  Add- 
ing ten  days  to  bring  the  date  into  conformity  with  the 
present  style,  we  have  either  the  twenty-first  or  the  twenty- 
second  of  July  as  our  exact  anniversary-day.  Next  I'~riday 
5 


34  Historical  Discourse. 

or  Saturday  completes  two  hundred  years  since  the  larger 
part  of  the  six  hundred  inhabitants  of  Portsmouth  were 
gathered,  forenoon  and  afternoon,  in  the  old  meeting-house 
at  the  South  Milldam,  to  hear  nine  men  of  their  neighbors 
tell  their  Christian  experience,  and  bind  themselves  to  one 
another  and  to  God  in  solemn  covenant,  and  to  witness  the 
ordination  over  the  infant  church  of  its  first  pastor  and 
deacon.  We  are  anticipating,  on  this  occasion,  the  exact 
anniversary,  by  one  or  two  days,  for  reasons  of  con- 
venience. 

Those  nine  men  who  formed  this  church  were  almost  all 
men  of  mark  in  the  colony.  John  and  Ricii.\kd  Cutt 
were  brothers  (like  Mr.  Moodey,  natives  of  Wales),  the  sons 
of  Richard  Cutt,  a  member  of  Cromwell's  Parliament  in 
1654.  They  were  both  opulent  merchants,  Richard  being 
the  wealthiest  man  in  New  Hampshire.  John  Cutt  was,  in 
1679,  appointed  by  royal  commission.  President  of  the  Pro- 
vince. He  left  by  his  will  one  hundred  pounds  to  the  town 
of  Portsmouth  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  free  school. 

Capt.  Eli.vs  Stilkm.\.\  came  from  Salem,  and  settled 
on  Great  Island  in  1658,  or  earlier.  When  this  church  was 
formed,  he  brought  a  letter  from  the  church  in  Salem,  which 
was  granted  June  25,  1671.  He  was,  at  different  times. 
Secretary  of  the  Province,  Member  of  the  Council,  Com- 
mander of  the  Fort  at  Great  Island,  and  Chief  Justice  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

Mr.  RicH.\Rn  M.\rtvn  was  Treasurer  of  the  Province, 
Councillor,  Speaker  of  the  Assembly,  and  Chief  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court. 

Samuel  Haines,   first   deacon   of  the  church,  came  to. 
New-England  in   the  ship  "Angel  Gabriel,"  which  sailed 


Historical  Discourse.  35 

from  I?rist()l,  England,  in  1635,  and  was  wrecked  at 
Pemaquid  (now  Bristol),  Maine,  in  the  great  hurricane  of 
Aug.  15,  in  that  year. 

He  settled  in  Greenland,  then  a  part  of  Portsmouth,  in 
1650.  His  farm  was  on  Great  Bay,  and  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  Nathaniel  Chapman.  Deacon  Haines  was 
one  of  the  selectmen  of  Portsmouth  for  many  years." 

Capt.  James  Pendleton  removed  to  Stonington,  Conn., 
a  few  years  after  the  formation  of  this  church,  and  served 
in  the  war  against  King  Philip  in  1676.  • 

Mr.  John  Fletcher  was  a  physician.  He  was  after- 
wards a  deacon  of  the  church,  and  died  Sept.  5,  1695. 

John  Tucker  was  a  man  of  considerable  property,  and 
joined  with  the  great  body  of  the  inhabitants  in  asking 
the  Massachusetts  authorities  to  assume  the  government 
and  protection  of  this  province  in  1689. 

Mr.  Moodey's  salary  was  fi.xed  at  this  time  at  one  hun- 
dred pounds,  besides  house-rent  and  the  contributions  of 
strangers.^"  Seven  years  later,  the  one  hundred  seems  to 
have  risen  to  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds.'-' 

In  1674,  Mr.  Moodey  was  heavily  afflicted  by  the  death  of 

1'  Andrew  M.  Haines  of  Galena,  111.,  a  descendant  of  the  deacon  in  the 
seventh  generation,  has  thoroughly  investigated  the  history  of  his  ancestor, 
both  in  this  country  and  in  England. 

-'  In  1693,  the  town  agreed  to  pay  Mr.  M.  twelve  pounds  yearly,  in  lieu  of 
the  contributions  of  strangers. 

^1  Voted,  Town-meeting,  March  12,  1671-72,  "that  if  any  shall  smoake  to- 
bacco in  the  meetinghouse  at  any  public  meeting  shall  pay  a  fine  of  five  shil- 
lings for  the  use  of  this  town." 

March  12,  1671-72  (same  meeting)  "  Nehemiah  Partridge  and  five  or  si.\ 
more  people  have  free  liberty  to  build  a  payre  of  stayres  up  to  the  westward 
beame  within  the  meetinghouse  and  a  pew  upon  the  beame,  &c  " 


36  Historical  Discourse. 

his  wife,  Martlia  Moodey.  A  provision  in  Mr.  Moodcy's  will, 
at  a  later  date,  indicates  the  place  of  her  burial,  —  "  If  I  die 
in  Portsmouth,"  the  will  runs,  "  my  body  shall  be  laid  in  the 
burying-place  there,  under  the  great  stone  by  the  side  of 
the  oak,  where  I  buried  my  first  wife  and  the  deceased 
children  I  had  by  her."  This  was  probably  in  the  burial- 
place  at  llic  I'ciint  (if  Graves.  Three-  children  of  Mr. 
Moodey  are  known  to  have  lived  to  adult  years,  —  Martha, 
who  married,  about  1680,  Rev.  Jonathan  Russell  of 
Harnstablc,  Mass.;  Sarah,  who  married,  May  5,  168 1, 
Rev.  John  I'ike  of  Dover.  N.  H.  ;  and  Samuel,  who  was 
graduateil  at  Harvard  College  in  1689,  i:)reached  for  a  time 
at  Newcastle  and  at  the  Shoals,  was  afterwards  a  military 
commander  in  the  Indian  wars  in  Maine,  and  was  known 
as  Major  Moodey.  All  these  were  no  doubt  the  children 
of  Martha  Moodey.  Mr.  Moodey  afterwards  married 
Widow  Ann  Jacobs  of  Ipswich,  wlio  survivctl  him.  Rev. 
Samuel  Moodey  of  York,  who  was  widely  known,  and  noted 
for  his  eccentricity,  was  a  nephew  of  Joshua  Moodey. 

When  Mr.  Moodey  came  to  Portsmouth  in  1658,  the 
towns  within  the  territory  of  New  Hampshire  were  united 
with  Massachusetts,  and  governed  by  her  laws,  in  accordance 
with  a  compact  made  some  years  previously.  But,  in  1679, 
King  Charles  II.  of  England  erected  New  Hamjishire  into 
a  separate  government ;  and,  in  1682,  Edward  Cranfield 
came  out  with  commission  as  Lieutenant-Governor  and 
Commander-in-chief  of  the  Province.  Cranfield  had  left  a 
profitable  oflRce  in  England,  apparently  in  the  ho])e  to  make 
his  fortune  in  this  new  country.  He  was  a  man  of  an  arbi- 
trary temper,  and  he  soon  came  in  conflict  with   the  sturdy 

-'-  T    II.  Miller  spe.iks  also  of  .-i  daughtci  Hannah. 


Historical  Discourse.  37 

spirit  of  independence  which  had  been  growing  in  the  col- 
ony through  years  of  self-government.  Baffled  in  many 
of  his  purposes,  and  suspecting  Mr.  Moodey  to  be  one  of 
the  chief  obstacles  in  his  way,  he  determined  to  crush  him. 
In  connection  with  a  trial  for  some  infringement  of  the 
revenue  laws,  a  member  of  the  church  '-'  was  accused  of 
perjury.  He  was  called  to  account  by  Cranfield,  but  found 
means  to  settle  the  matter  with  the  governor :  so  that  the 
affair  was  hushed  up.  This  did  not  satisfy  Mr.  Moodey. 
The  governor  commanded  him  not  to  pursue  the  matter 
farther.  But  Mr.  Moodey  called  the  offender  to  account 
before  the  church,  and  at  length  led  him  to  an  open  and 
humble  confession  of  his  sin.     This  enraged  the  governor.'''' 

A  few  months  after  this  (Dec.  10,  1683),  Cranfield 
passed  an  order  in  council,  that,  after  the  first  day  of  Janu- 
ary following,  all  the  ministers  in  the  province  should 
admit  all  persons  of  suitable  years,  and  not  vicious  and 
scandalous  in  their  lives,  to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  and  their  children  to  baptism  ;  and  that,  if  any 
persons  should  desire  to  receive  either  sacrament  accord- 
ing to  the  liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England,  it  should  be 
done  accordingly,  in  pursuance  of  the  laws  of  the  realm 
of  England.-'' 

The  governor  also,  a  few  weeks  later,  sent  word  to  Mr. 
Moodey,  that  he  himself,  with  four  others   (three  of  whom 

-^  The  name  is  given  in  Adams's  Annals  of  Portsmouth  as  George  Jan- 
vrin.     That  is  not  the  true  name. 

-*  The  result  of  Mr.  Moodey's  faithful  discipline  was  eminently  satisfactory. 
The  oflfender  became  afterwards  one  of  the  most  active  and  useful  members 
of  the  church. 

-'>  See  copy  of  the  order  in  Belknap's  New  Hampshire,  vol.  i.  appendix. 


38  Historical  Discourse. 

were  Messrs.  Mason,  Hinckes,  and  .Chamberlain  of  the 
Council),  intended  to  receive  the  sacrament  at  his 
hands  the  next  Lord's  Day,  and  requiring  him  to  be 
prepared  to  administer  it  according  to  the  rites  of  the 
Church  of  England.  Mr.  Moodey  refused.  In  a  letter 
written  at  the  time,  he  says,  "  I  told  the  marshal  I  durst 
not,  could  not,  should  not,  do  it."  The  governor  had  him 
summoned  before  the  Court  of  Quarter* Sessions  at  Great 
Island,  where  he  was  convicted  of  the  crime  of  adminis- 
tering the  sacraments  contrary  to  the  rites  and  ceremonies 
of  the  Church  of  England,  and  was  sentenced  to  imprison- 
ment for  six  months  without  bail.  The  court  consisted  of 
six  justices.  Eour  only  could  be  induced  to  sign  the 
warrant  for  Mr.  Moodey's  imprisonment.  The  two  who 
refused  were  soon  dismissed  by  Cranfield  from  all  public 
offices.  Mr.  Moodey,  at  a  later  period,  finds  evidence  of  a 
providential  retribution  following  his  unjust  judges.  He 
says  of  the  four  who  condemned  him  :  "  Not  long  after,  H. 
Green  repented,  and  made  his  acknowledgement  to  the 
pastor,  who  frankly  forgave  him.  Roby  was  excommuni- 
cated out  of  Hampton  Church  for  a  common  drunkard,  and 
died  excommunicate,  and  was  by  his  friends  thrown  into  an 
hole  near  his  house,  for  fear  of  an  arrest  of  his  carcass. 
Barefoot  fell  into  a  languishing  distemper,  whereof  he  died. 
Coffin  was  taken  by  the  Indians,  and  his  house  and  mills 
burnt,  himself  not  slain  but  dismist.  The  Lord  grant  him 
repentance,  though  no  signs  of  it  have  appeared.  (Psal.  9, 
16)."  Mr.  Moodey  was  committed  to  the  sheriff,  and 
confined  in  the  house  of  Capt.  Stilcman  at  Great  Island. 
A  letter  from  Wm.  Vaughan,  Esq.,  who  was  also  unjustly 
imprisoned  at  this  time,  though  on  a  different  pretext,  and 


Historical  Discourse.  39 

who  was  confined  with  Mr.  Moodcy,  gives  a  picture  of  the 
anxious  condition  of  the  church  and  community  under 
Cranfield's  reckless  measures.  "  But,  above  all,"  he  says, 
"  our  minister  lies  in  prison,  and  a  famine  of  the  Word  of 
God  is  coming  upon  us.  No  public  worship,  no  preaching 
of  the  word  :  what  ignorance,  profaneness,  and  misery  must 
ensue  !  "  And  under  a  later  date,  "  The  sabbath  is  come, 
but  no  preaching  at  the  Bank,  nor  any  allowed  to  come  to 
us.  Motions  have  been  made  that  Mr.  Moodey  may  go  up 
and  preach  on  the  Lord's  day,  tho.  he  come  down  to  the 
prison  at  night  ;  or  that  neighbor  ministers  might  be  per- 
mitted to  come  and  preach  ;  or  that  the  people  might  come 
down  to  the  prison  and  hear,  as  many  as  could.  But 
nothing  will  do."  "  If  they  go  on  thus  we  are  utterly 
ruined.  I  question  whether  any  age  can  parallel  such 
actions."  "  I  am  credibly  informed,  and  you  may  believe  it, 
that  the  Governor  did  in  the  open  council  yesterday,  say 
and  swear  dreadfully  that  he  would  put  the  province  into 
the  greatest  confusion  and  distraction  he  could  possibly, 
and  then  go  away  and  leave  them  so  ;  and  then  the  devil 
take  them  all.  He  also  then  said  that  Mr.  Mason  said  he 
would  drive  them  into  a  second  rebellion,  but  himself 
would  do  it  before,  and  I  wonder  he  has  not  ;  such  actings 
are  the  ready  way,  but  God  hath  kept  us  hitherto,  and  I  hope 
will  do  so  still."  '^'^  There  are  also  three  letters  preserved 
which  were  written  by  Mr.  Moodey  during  his  confine- 
ment. They  breathe  a  resolute  but  Christian  spirit.  One 
dated  "  12,  12,  1683,"  i.e.,  Feb.  12,  1684,  is  addressed  to 
Thomas  Hinckley,  Governor  of  New  Plymouth,  in  reply  to 
one  Mr.  Moodey  had  received  from  him  before  his  iniprison- 

••"i  N.  II.  lliit.  Coll.,  viii.  1S2,  ff. 


40  Historical  Discourse. 

mcnt.  After  recounting  the  facts  that  have  already  been 
mentioned,  he  says,  "  I  told  the  court  that  I  should  go  to 
prison  with  much  more  peace  than  they  sent  mc  thither  ; 
and  particularly  applied  myself  to  Roby  a  church-member, 
and  told  him  that  I  had  done  nothing  but  what  he  was  by 
solemn  covenant  engaged  to  maintain,  and  wished  him  to 
provide  against  the  day  when  these  things  should  be  over- 
hauled. .  .  .  But,  blessed  be  God  for  Jesus  Christ,  I 
am  quiet  and  at  peace.  Tho.  I  have  many  things  that  are 
matter  of  repentance  and  shame  to  me,  yet  in  this  matter 
I  am  abundantly  satisfied  in  my  lot,  and  hope  shall  be  a 
gainer,  and  that  the  cause  of  Christ  will  gain  by  my  suffer- 
ings. Only,  methinks,  I  find  it  a  hard  matter  to  suffer  in  a 
right  manner.  Something  of  stoutness  of  spirit,  some  other 
sinister  ends,  are  apt  to  creep  in,  and  spoil  suffering  work. 
The  Lord  grant  that  I  may  have  grace  so  to  carry  it  as  not 
to  lose  aught  that  I  have  done,  and  do  now  suffer  !  I  beg 
your  hearty  prayers  for  mc,  that  with  integrity  and  sinceri- 
ty I  may  cheerfully  and  patiently  bear  my  cross  till  the 
Lord  shall  give  me  a  discharge."  ■' 

In  another  letter,  addressed  to  Rev.  Samuel  Phillips  of 
Rowley,  and  dated,  "  From  the  prison,  27th.  ist.  mo.  1684," 
i.e.,  March  27,  1684,  he  urges  Mr.  Phillips  to  come  to  Ports- 
mouth, and  preach  to  the  people  for  one  or  two  sabbaths  at 
least.  Cranfield  being  absent  in  New  York,  Mr.  Moodey 
has  obtained  from  Mr.  Mason,  who  presides  in  the  gover- 
nor's absence,  the  permission  to  make  such  an  arrangement. 
"  Oh,  consider,"  he  writes,  "  that  my  poor  flock  have  fasted 
about  forty  days,  and  must  now  be  an  hungered  !  Have 
pity  upon  them,  have  pity  upon  them,  O  thou,  my  friend  ! 

■"   Hinckley  I'apers,  IV.  Mass.  II.  C,  v.  116-121. 


Historical  Discourse.  41 

And  when  you  have  taken  your  turn,  we  shall  hope  for 
some  other.  You  will  thereby  not  only  visit  me  in  prison, 
but  feed  a  great  multitude  of  the  hungry  and  thirsty  little 
ones  of  Christ,  which  will  be  accounted  for  at  that  day.  .  .  . 
Pray  come  early  enough  in  the  week  to  give  notice  to  the 
people.  I  do  also,  in  behalf  of  my  dear  and  tender  wife, 
thank  you  for  yours  to  her.  Now,  pray  for  me,  that  I  may 
have  an  humble  heart,  and  that  my  whole  soul,  body,  and 
spirit  may  be  sanctified,  and  kept  blameless  to  that  day  !  "  * 
Mr.  Phillips  came  and  preached  for  Mr.  Moodey  two  sab- 
baths, the  13th  and  20th  of  April. 

After  lying  in  prison  thirteen  weeks,  in  May,  1684,  Mr. 
Moodey  was  released,  with  an  injunction  to  preach  no  more 
within  the  province  on  penalty  of  further  imprisonment. 
He  accepted  an  invitation  to  preach  for  the  First  Church  in 
Boston,  as  temporary  colleague  with  their  pastor,  Rev.  John 
Allen,  and  remained  there  eight  years.  A  few  months 
after  his  removal  to  Boston,  Rev.  John  Rogers,  President 
of  Harvard  College,  died,  and  Mr.  Moodey  was  elected  his 
successor,  but  declined  the  position. 

In  the  latter  part  of  Mr.  Moodey's  ministry  at  Boston, 
the  Witchcraft  delusion  was  raging  at  Salem.  The  part 
which  Mr.  Moodey  took  with  reference  to  it  is  eminently 
honorable  to  his  judgment  and  to  his  Christian  intrepidity. 
Philip  English  and  his  wife  were  among  the  persons  accused 
at  Salem,  but  were  confined  at  the  jail  in  Boston,  on  ac- 
count of  the  crowded  condition  of  the  Salem  prison.  "  In 
Boston,  upon  giving  bail,  they  had  the  liberty  of  the  town, 

-*  Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Moody  Family,  29,  30.     See  also  a  letter 

from  Mr.   Moodey  in   prison   to   Rev.    Increase   Mather,  in    Mather  Papers, 

IV.  Mass.  Hist.  Coll.,  vol.  viii. 
6 


42  Historical  Discourse. 

only  lodging  in  prison.  On  the  day  before  they  were  to 
return  to  Salem  for  trial,  Mr.  Moodey  waited  upon  them  in 
the  prison,  and  invited  them  to  the  public  worship.  On 
the  occasion  he  chose  for  the  text,  the  words.  '  If  they  per- 
secute you  in  one  city,  flee  into  another.'  In  the  discourse, 
with  a  manly  freedom,  he  justified  every  attempt  to  escape 
from  the  forms  of  justice,  when  justice  was  violated  in 
them."  After  service,  he  visited  the  prisoners  in  the  jail, 
and  frankly  told  them  that  they  ought  by  all  means  to  flee. 
After  much  persuasion,  he  induced  them  to  yield  to  his 
plans.  With  the  concurrence  of  the  governor,  he  had  pro- 
vided for  their  escape  from  the  prison  at  midnight,  and 
their  conveyance  out  of  the  colony.  They  went  to  New 
York  with  recommendations  to  Gov.  Fletcher,  and  remained 
there  till  the  next  year.  "  In  all  this  business,  Mr.  Moodey 
openly  justified  Mr.  English,  and  in  defiance  of  all  the  pre- 
judices which  prevailed,  expressed  his  abhorrence  of  the 
measures  which  had  obliged  a  useful  citizen  to  flee  from 
the  executioners.  Mr.  Moodey  was  commended  by  all  dis- 
cerning men  ;  but  he  felt  the  angry  resentment  of  the 
deluded  multitude  of  his  own  times,  among  whom  some  of 
high  rank  were  included."  -" 

Mr.  Moodey  writes,  in  the  records  of  this  church,  that, 
during  his  residence  in  Boston,  "  The  church  were  often 
visited  by  the  pastor,  and  kept  up  theyr  private  meetings,  and 
so  held  together  ;  tho.  some  removed,  and  others  were  taken 
away  by  death."     Rev.  Gilbert  Laurie  came  from  Boston, 

-■'  From  an  account  by  Mr.  Bcntley  of  Saiem,  drawn  up  early  in  the  pres- 
ent century  from  communications  by  Madam  Susanna  Ilarthornc,  great-grand- 
daughter of  Mr.  English.  Eliot's  Biograph.  Diet,  p.  328.  Mr.  English  fled 
from  Boston  about  the  1st  of  June,  1692. 


Historical  Discourse.  43 

and  preached  here  six  months  or  more,  commencing  Nov. 
I,  16S6.  Rev.  John  Cotton,  who  was  afterwards  settled 
at  Hampton,  a  grandson  of  the  distinguished  John  Cot- 
ton of  Boston,  preached  here  three  months  or  more  in  the 
winter  or  spring  of  1692. 

It  is  pleasant  to  read  in  letters  of  Mr.  Moodcy,  during  his 
ministry  in  Boston,  indications  of  his  tender  interest  in  his 
own  church  and  people.  In  October,  1688,  he  writes  to 
Rev.  Increase  Mather,  who  was  then  in  London,  "  If  you 
can,  in  all  your  opportunities  of  waiting  on  his  Maj'-'',  find 
a  season  to  thrust  in  a  happy  word  for  poor  N.  Hampshire, 
who  are  under  lamentable  circumstances.  Mason  is  dead, 
but  his  sons  survive  and  possibly  may  be  worse  than  hee. 
You  know  how  the  poor  people  have  been  unreasonably 
harassed,  and  to  raise  one  family  on  the  ruins  of  half  a 
dozen  considerable  Townes  look.s  hard.  Tis  my  affection 
to  my  people  that  has  drawn  this  hint  fro.  mee.  I  leave  it 
to  your  consideration,  and  pray  for  God's  presence  to  bee 
with  you."  And  three  months  later  (Jan.  8,  1689),  he 
adds  a  postscript  to  a  letter,  to  say,  "  If  something  could 
be  done  for  the  poor  Province  of  N.  Hampshire  and  Mein, 
it  would  be  a  good  work."  ■"'• 

Gov.  Cranfield  had  been  obliged  to  leave  New  Hamp- 
shire, almost  as  a  fugitive,  in  May,  1685,  the  year  after  he 
had  driven  Mr.  Moodey  to  Boston.  It  is  not  easy  to  un- 
derstand why  Mr.  Moodey  did  not  then  return  to  Ports- 
mouth. The  question  was  many  times  discussed  between 
him  and  the  people  here.  He  writes  to  Mr.  Mather  in  July, 
1688,  "  I  need  exceedingly  your  advice  about  going  to 
Portsmouth,  which  is  vehemently  urged  by  my  church  and 

■■"  IV.   Mass.   Hist.  CciU.,  viii.  357,  ft". 


44  Historical  Discourse. 

people,  and  the  next  week  we  are  to  take  counsell  about  it. 
The  church  is  dear  to  mee,  and  I  could  bee  glad  to  be  with 
them,  but  the  circumstances  of  my  removing  hence  and 
being  there  are  tremendous  to  mee.     Pray  for  mee  daily." 

The  difficulties,  whatever  they  may  have  been,  were  at 
length  surmounted;  and,  in  June  or  July,  1692,"'  Mr. 
Moodey  left  the  church  in  Boston,  and  returned  and  la- 
bored here  five  years,  until  his  death.  In  1697,  he  went  to 
Boston  for  medical  advice,  and  died  there  on  Sunday,  July 
4,  1697,  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age. 

Mis  body  was  laid  in  the  tomb  of  the  worshipful  John 
Hull,  in  the  Granary  Burying-ground.  Rev.  Dr.  Cotton 
Mather  preached  a  sermon  upon  his  decea.se,  from  these 
words, —  "  Looking  steadfastly  on  him,  they  saw  his  face,  as 
it  had  been  the  face  of  an  angel."  He  says,  "The  church 
of  Portsmouth  (a  part  of  the  country  that  very  much  owed 
its  life  unto  him)  crys  out  of  a  deadly  wound  in  his  death. 
Ilis  labors  in  the  gospel  were  frequent  and  fervent.  And 
unto  his  cares  to  edifie  his  flock  by  sermons,  he  added 
more  than  ordinary  cares  to  do  it  by  visits  ;  no  man  per- 
haps being  a  kinder  visitant.  He  was  not  only  ready  to  do 
good,  but  also  to  sufter  for  doing  it.  .  .  .  When  the  last 
summons  of  death  came  to  be  served  upon  him.  he  had 
neither  time  nor  strength  to  speak  very  much.  Unto  a 
minister  who  visited  him  the  day  before  his  expiration,  he 
signified  that  he  was  '  rejoicing  in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of 

"  In  1692,  the  number  of  families  in  this  parish  was  two  hundred  and 
thirty-one,  viz.,  at  Strawberry  Bank,  one  hundred  .ind  twenty  ;  at  Greenland, 
sixty-eight ;  at  Great  Island,  forty-three.  (Dr.  Stiles  in  North  Church  Rec- 
ords.) In  this  enumeration.  Strawberry  Bank  probably  included  a  part  of 
Newington  ;  and  Greenland  included  all  south  of  Sagamore  Creek. 


Historical  Discourse.  45 

God  ; '  that  he  was  '  longing  to  go  to  the  precious  Christ, 
whom  he  had  chose  and  served  ;  that  the  spirit  of  Christ 
had  comfortably  taken  away  from  him  the  fear  of  death.'  " 

One  hundred  and  sixty  persons  united  with  this  church 
during  Mr.  Moodey's  ministry.  The  record  of  those  whom 
he  baptized  is  given  only  for  the  last  four  and  a  quarter 
years  of  his  life.  The  number  during  that  time  was  one 
hundred  and  ten.  The  last  baptism  by  Mr.  Moodey,  as  re- 
corded in  the  church-book,  is  that  of  "  William  Peperill," 
under  date  of  May  g,  1697.  This  child  was  afterwards  the 
distinguished  merchant  of  Kittery,  who  was  created  baro- 
net in  consequence  of  his  success  in  leading  the  expedition 
of  1745  against  Louisburg.  His  father  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  at  the  Isle  of  Shoals  (about  1676).  It  is  said 
that  he,  with  a  Mr.  Gibbons,  carried  on  fisheries  there  for  a 
few  years,  when  they  "found  it  too  limited  for  their  views, 
and  concluded  to  remove  to  some  part  of  the  main.  To 
ilctermine  them  whither  they  should  go,  they  each  set  up  a 
stick,  and  let  it  fall  as  Providence  should  direct."  Mr.  Pep- 
perell's  fell  towards  the  north-west,  and  he  took  that  direc- 
tion, and  settled  at  Kittery  Point  :  Mr.  Gibbons's  stick  fell 
toward  the  north-east  ;  and  he  accordingly,  so  runs  the  tra- 
dition, found  a  home  near  the  Penobscot  River.*-  Mr.  Pep- 
perell,  the  father,  joined  this  church,  Nov.  5,  1696. 

Nearly  two  years  after  Mr.  Moodey's  death.  May  3,  1699, 
N.\TH.\NiEL  Rogers  was  ordained  .second  pastor  of  this 
church  :  '•'  "  the  good  Mr.  Rogers,"  he  is  called  in  some  of 

*-  I.  Mass.  Hist.  Coll.,  vii.  242. 

•'"  The  church  numbered  seventy-nine  niembeis  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Rogers's 
ordination,  —  twenty  males,  fifty-nine  females. 

Mr.  Rogers  preached  at  Salem  vill.age  from  February  to  .September,  1697, 
and  received  a  call  to  settle  there,  but  declined. — Idt's  Amuih  of  Saltm,  328. 


46  Historical  Discourse. 

the  records  of  that  clay.  He  was  the  youngest  son  of  Rev. 
Jolin  R()<;ers,  President  of  Harvard  College,  was  born  at 
Ipswich,  Feb.  22,  1669-70,  and  was  graduated  at  Harvard, 
in  1687. 

His  wife  was  Sarah  Purkiss,  a  niece  of  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Pembcrton  of  Boston.  Mrs.  Rogers's  mother,  after  tlic 
death  of  her  second  husband,  whose  name  was  Elatson, 
came  to  live  with  Mrs.  Rogers.  In  October,  1704,  the  an- 
cient parsonage  took  fire  in  the  night,  and  was  burned  to 
the  ground.  Mrs.  Elatson  was  so  much  injurctl  that  she 
survived  only  a  few  weeks.  An  infant  child  of  Mr.  Ro- 
gers's, and  a  negro  woman,  perished  in  the  flames.  This 
house  was  no  doubt  the  old  first  chapel,  which  had  been 
refitted  for  a  parsonage  when  the  meeting-house  at  the 
South  Milldam  was  built.  The  ne.\t  year,  the  town  voted 
Mr.  Rogers  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  to  assist  in  build- 
ing a  house  upon  his  own  land. 

In  1707  (.April  21),  "at  a  church  meeting  legally  con- 
vened, it  was  voted,  that  [any]  person  having  a  competent 
knowledge  and  making  a  serious  pro.  of  ye  Xian  Religion, 
and  being  of  a  conversation  void  of  scandal,  upon  yr  own- 
ing ye  covenant  and  subjecting  themselves  to  ye  govern- 
ment of  X  in  this  churcli,  shall  be  admitted  to  baptism,  and 
have  a  like  priviledge  for  yr  children." 

This  "  Half-way  Covenant,"  as  it  was  termed,  was  intro- 
duced in  a  large  part  of  the  Congregational  churches  of 
New  England  in  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries, 
but  proved  a  great  injury  to  their  spirituality  and  success. 
Its  object  was,  to  draw  into  a  certain  partial  relation  to  the 
Church,  men  of  upright  lives  who  made  no  claim  to  religious 
character,  in  the  hope  that  they  might,  by  this  means,  be 


Historical  Discourse.  47 

led  to  repentance  and  faith.  Its  result  was,  to  veil  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  change  of  heart,  and  to  lead  men  to  satisfy 
themselves  in  putting  a  formal  and  reserved  profession  of 
religion  in  the  place  of  one  that  should  be  hearty  and  entire. 
The  custom  prevailed  in  this  church  down  to  the  end  of 
Dr.  Buckminster's  ministry,  but  was  not  continued  by  Dr. 
Putnam  or  his  successors. 

"  At  a  Generall  Town  Meeting  held  at  Portsmo.  this 
24th  day  of  September,  171 1,  Voted  that  a  new  meeting- 
house be  built  in  the  Town.  Voted  ihai  the  new  meeting- 
house be  built  on  the  corner  of  the  minister's  ffcild,  on  ye 
place  formerly  appointed  by  ye  comittee,  and  tlvit  it  be  ye 
stated  meetinghouse  of  ye  Town.  Voters  for  the  meeting- 
house are  si.xty-five,  against  are  fourty-five."''^  A  committee 
was  chosen  at  the  same  meeting  "  to  carry  on  ye  affaire  of 
building  sd  House  ;"  and  the  selectmen  were  empowered  to 
raise  money  by  way  of  a  town-rate  for  the  said  house. 
"  The  corner  of  the  minister's  ffield,"  in  this  vote,  refers  to 
the  locality  on  which  this  church  now  stands  ;  and  the  meet- 
ing-house built  here,  in  accordance  with  the  vote,  was  the 
one  taken  down  in  1854,  after  standing  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  years. 

The  opposition  to  building  the  meeting-house  in  171 1 
arose  from  local  feeling ;  the  people  in  the  vicinity  of 
Pickering's  Dam  being  unwilling  to  have  the  house  placed 
so  far  north.  When  the  house  was  completed,  the  church 
voted,    under   date    of    Jan.    7,    1714,''   "That    Nathaniel 

■"  Town  Records,  ii.  25. 

^'  In  the  Records,  "Jan.  7,  1 713  ;"but,  of  course,  it  should  be  written  now, 
"  1 714."  By  omitting  to  make  this  correction,  Aldcn  in  his  Account  of  the 
Religious  Societies  in  Portsmouth,  and  all  later  writers,  have  failed  to  show 
the  true  succession  of  facts  in  the  controversy. 


48  Historical  Discourse. 

Rogers,  minister  of  this  church,  should  come  to  the  new 
meeting-house  erected  at  ye  Bank,  on  ye  next  Sabbath- 
seven  night,  and  jireach  there,  and  continue  preaching  there 
as  formerly  at  ye  old  Meeting  House,  and  perform  all  other 
offices  which  appertain  to  his  function." 

The  people  at  the  South  End  claimed  that  the  vote  fur 
locating  the  house  in  this  place  was  obtained  unfairly  ;  and 
they  were  not  willing  to  submit  to  it.  After  Mr.  Rogers 
began  to  preach  in  tlie  new  house,  they  obtained  Rev.  John 
Emerson  to  preach  in  the  old  house.  The  controversy  ran  so 
high,  that  it  was  referred  to  the  legislature  ;  and  the  follow- 
ing vote  was  passed  by  the  Council  and  General  Assembly 
of 'the  Province  of  New  Hampshire,  at  Portsmouth,  May 
II,  1714  :  "  Upon  the  hearing  of  all  parties  referring  to  the 
meeting  houses  of  this  Town,  and  having  seen  the  grants, 
agreements  and  votes  of  the  said  Town  of  Portsmouth, 
referring  to  the  settlements  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rogers,  the 
present  minister  of  the  said  Town  or  Parish,  —  voted  that 
the  said  Mr.  Rogers  be  established  the  minister  of  the  said 
Town,  and  be  confirmed  in  the  possession  of  the  Glceb 
land  or  Parsonage  Lands  according  to  the  agreement  with 
the  Town."  Provision  is  also  made  in  the  same  act  for  the 
support,  by  the  town,  of  the  minister  at  "  the  other  Meet- 
ing House  at  the  Mill  Damm."^'^ 

Hut  this  did  not  bring  peace  ;  for  we  find,  that,  two 
months  later,  there  are  two  sets  of  town-officers  in  Ports- 
mouth,—  one  elected  by  a  town-meeting  at  the  old  meeting- 
house, the  other  chosen  at  the  new ;  and  the  interposition 
of  the  legislature  is  again  requested,  with  the  following 
result :  — 

'"'  Prov.  Papers  of  N.  H.,  iii.  559. 


Historical  Discourse.  49 

House  of  Representatives  of  New  Hampshire,  28  July, 

1 7 14,  "Voted  a  concurrence  with  the  order  of  the  Gov- 
ernor and  Council,  and  considering  the  Regularity  of  the 
Town  Meeting  at  the  New  Meeting  House  the  seventh 
of  June,  confirm  the  Town  clerk  and  all  other  officers  then 
chosen,  and  the  votes  then  passed  about  the  new  Meeting 
House." '' 

Rev.  Mr.  EVnerson  was  settled  over  the  church  and 
society  worshipping  in  the  old   meeting-house,  in  March, 

1 71 5.  There  was  not  full  harmony  between  the  two  socie- 
ties until  twenty  or  thirty  years  later,  when  Mr.  Fitch  and 
Mr.  Shurtleff  began  the  occasional  interchange  of  pulpit 
services,  which  was  continued  by  their  successors  down  to 
the  year  18 19. 

Aug.  18,  1719,  "At  a  church  meeting  Lawfully  warned, 
it  was  unanimously  voted  that  we  give  our  consent  to  ye 
reading  of  ye  holy  Scripture  in  the  publick  worship  ;  yt  is 
a  chapter  in  ye  forenoon  and  a  chapter  in  ye  Afternoon 
service." 

Mr.  Rogers  died  on  the  3d  of  October,  1723,  in  the  fifty- 
fourth  vear  of  his  age,  and  was  interred  in  the  ancient 
burial-ground  called  the  Point  of  Graves.  An  old  record 
says  of  him,  that  he  was  a  minister  of  the  Geneva  School, 
that  he  had  a  very  agreeable  manner  of  preaching,  and  was 
very  elegant  in  person  and  deportment.  Rev.  Dr.  Stiles 
says  of  him,  in  our  church  records  :  "  He  was  a  most  excel- 
lent minister  ;  and  his  ministry,  as  well  as  that  pf  that  holy 
man  of  God,  his  predecessor,  was  eminently  owned  and 

^'  Prov.  Papers  of  X.   H.,  iii.  573.      See  also  Prov.   Papers,  ii.  6SS,  and 
iii.  569,  571,  643,  6S4,  715,  729. 
7 


50  Historical  Discourse. 

blessed  of  the  great  Head  of  the  Church."  Mr.  Rogers 
had  nine  children,  some  of  whom  became  eminent. 

The  third  pastor  of  this  church  was  Rev.  J.xncz  Fitch, 
who  was  installed  here  in  the  spring  or  summer  of  1725.'' 
He  was  one  of  the  fourteen  children  of  Rev.  James  Fitch 
of  Norwich,  Conn.,  and  was  born  in  April,  1672.  He  was 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1694,  and  was  chosen  a 
Fellow  of  the  Corporation  and  a  Tutor  of  the  College. 
He  was  ordained  at  Ipswich,  as  colleague  with  Rev.  John 
Rogers,  in  1703,  and  resigned  on  account  of  inadequate 
support  in  1723.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Appleton,  daugh- 
ter of  Col.  John  Appleton  of  Ipswich,  and  niece  of  Rev. 
Nathaniel  Rogers,  second  pastor  of  this  church." 

During  his  mmistry  here,  in  1740  and  the  following 
years,  the  great  revival  with  which  the  names  of  Whitefield, 
Pres.  Edwards,  and  the  Tennents,  are  connected,  extended 
through  New  England.  There  was  unusual  religious 
interest  in  Portsmouth,  in  which  bdth  the  churches  shared. 
Sixty-three  members  were  added  to  the  South  Church  in 
the  year  1742.  By  the  loss  of  our  records  for  the  period 
of  Mr.  Fitch's  ministry,  it  is  impossible  to  speak  as  defi- 
nitely of  the  results  in  our  own  church.  Mr.  Whitefield 
preached  here  in  one  or  both  the  churches  in  October, 
1740,  in  November,  1744,  and  in  February,  1745.  A  very 
interesting  letter  from  Rev.  Mr.  Shurtleft",  pastor  of  the 
South  Church,  is  preser\'ed  in  Prince's  "Christian  History" 
for  January  and  February,  1743-44.  The  letter  is  dated  at 
Portsmouth,  June   i,    1743.     "You  are  doubtless  in  some 

"  See  earliest  Parish  Account  Book,  page  103. 

•^  Steps  were  taken  to  form  an  Episcopal  church  in  Portsmouth  in  1732; 
and,  in  1736,  Rev.  Arthur  Brown  became  rector. 


Historical  Discourse.  51 

Measure  acquainted  with  the  Character  which  the  People 
of  this  Town  have  heretofore  generally  sustained.  They 
have,  I  think,  been  remarked  by  Strangers  for  their  Polite- 
ness in  Dress  and  Behaviour  ;  have  been  thought  to  go 
beyond  most  others  in  equal  Circumstances,  if  not  to  ex- 
ceed themselves,  in  their  sumptuous  and  elegant  Living  and 
Things  of  the  like  Nature  ;  and  while  they  have  been  justly 
in  Repute  for  their  generous  and  hospitable  Disposition,  and 
for  many  social  virtues,  Diversions  of  various  Kinds  have 
been  much  in  Fashion,  and  the  vices  that  have  been  usual 
in  seaport  and  trading  places  have  been  common  and 
prevalent  among  us.  We  have,  I  trust,  never  been  without 
a  number  of  sincere  and  serious  Christians  ;  but  even 
these  wise  Virgins  have  slumbered  and  slept ;  and,  as  to 
the  generality  of  Professors,  they  have  seemed  for  a  great 
while  to  content  themselves  with  an  empty  form,  and  there 
has  been  but  little  of  the  life  and  power  of  Religion  to  be 
seen.  .  .  .  Mr.  Whitefield's  coming  among  us  and  also 
Mr.  Tennent's  was,  I  am  perswaded,  blessed  of  God."  He 
goes  on  to  speak  of  the  first  special  exhibition  of  religious 
feeling,  which  was  in  connection  with  a  Fast  observed  in 
this  town  on  Wednesday,  Nov.  25,  1741,  some  of  the 
ministers  from  neighboring  towns  coming  to  assist  in  the 
services.  The  interest  was  so  great  that  "  the  People  did 
not  care  to  disperse  ;  insomuch  that  there  was  another 
sermon  in  the  evening  ;  and  a  great  Number  of  them 
stayed  till  it  was  late  in  the  Place  of  public  Worship.  The 
ne.Kt  day  a  Sermon  was  again  preached  in  public  and  had 
an  unusual  Efficacy  upon  the  Hearers.  The  Day  after,  we 
had  two  or  three  Exercises,  and  the  Congregation,  great 
Part  of  it,  continued  together  till  late  at  Night. 


52  Historical  Discourse. 

"  This  Friday  was  the  most  remarkable  Day  that  was  ever 
known  among  us.  The  whole  Congregation  seemed  deeply 
affected  ;  and  there  was  such  a  general  outcry,  in  some 
from  a  distressing  Sight  of  their  Sins,  and  in  others  from 
a  joyful  sense  of  the  Love  of  Christ,  that  could  not  but  put 
a  great  many  in  Mind  of  the  appearing  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
and  of  tiie  different  Exclamations  tliat  shall  be  heard  from 
the  Inhabitants  of  the  World,  when  they  shall  see  Him 
coming  in  the  Clouds  of  Heaven,  in  Power  and  great 
Glory." 

Speaking  of  the  results  of  the  revival,  he  says,  "  As  to 
the  place  in  general,  that  there  is  an  Alteration  in  it  for  the 
better,  must  I  think  needs  be  owned  by  every  unprejudiced 
Observer.  There  is  not  that  profane  Cursing  and  Swear- 
ing which  has  formerly  been  usual.  The  Sabbath  is  more 
strictly  observed.  Family  Worship,  where  it  was  neglected 
in  a  variety  of  Instances  is  now  set  up.  Some  that  were 
manifestly  of  a  narrow,  selfish,  and  worldly  Spirit,  and 
seemed  unwilling  to  part  with  any  thing  of  what  they 
possessed  to  any  good  and  charitable  Use  whatsoever, 
appear  now  to  have  their  Hearts  much  enlarged.  Many 
that  have  dealt  dishonestly,  have  not  only  acknowledged 
the  Wrongs  they  have  done,  but  made  Restitution  for  them. 
Musick  and  Dancing  seems  to  be  wholly  laid  aside.  Where 
you  might  formerly  have  heard  jovial,  and  it  may  be  profane 
and  obscene  songs,  you  may  now  hear  Psalms  and  H)mns 
of  Praise  sung  to  God,  and  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
This  special!  interest  continued,  Mr.  Shurtleff  says,  through 
the  winter  of  1 741-43,  and  was  renewed  in  the  following 
winter.  At  the  time  he  writes,  "numbers  meet  together 
to  supplicate  the  Throne  of  Grace  upon  the  Evening  of 


Historical  Discourse.  53 

every  day  in  the  Week  but  Saturday,  when  there  is  no 
publiclv  Lecture."  ^^  In  a  later  note,  Mr.  Shurtlefif  .say.s, 
that,  "  among  the  very  many  that  have  been  awakened  and 
deeply  convinced,  there  is  a  goodly  Number  that  are  giving 
all  the  evidence  that  can  be  expected  of  a  real  and  saving 
Change."  *' 

Mr.  Fitch  was  advancing  in  years,  and  his  health  was  not 
good.  On  the  6th  of  Novemljer,  1745,  the  parish  voted, 
"  that  Mr.  Samuel  Langdon,  the  Schoolmaster,  be  invited 
to  settle  among  us  as  an  assistant  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jabez 
Fitch  in  the  work  of  the  Ministry,  and  that  he  shall  have 
and  hereby  has  the  consent  of  the  Parish,  to  take  the  care 
and  charge  of  the  Grammar  School  in  this  Town,  in  Ease 
of  the  Parish  with  respect  to  the  Salary  to  be  paid  him,  so 
long  as  Mr.  Fitch  shall  be  able  to  perform  his  Ministrations 
as  usual."  Mr.  Langdon  was  to  "  preach  once  every  other 
Sabbath,  and  as  much  oftener  "  as  would  consist  with  his 
"  care  of  said  school,  [his]  ability  and  agreement  with  Mr. 
Fitch."  But  this  arrangement  was  not  to  continue  long. 
A  year  later,  on  the  22d  of  November,  1746,  Mr.  Fitch 
died  of  a  nervous  fever  in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  his 
age,  and  was  buried,  like  his  predecessor,  at  the  Point  of 
Graves.  It  is  recorded  of  him,  that  "  his  mind  was  strong 
and  richlv  stored  with  learning.  His  heart  was  swayed  by 
benevolent  affections,  and  eminently  sanctified  by  the  Spirit 
of  Grace." ^-  He  had  a  taste  for  historical  researches, 
and  made  a  collection  of  facts  relative  to  New  Hampshire, 
of  which  Dr.  Belknap  availed  himself  in  writing  his  history 
of  the  State. 

■"'  Christian  History,  1743,  p.  3S3,  tT.  "  Ibid.,  p.  173. 

■•2  Felt's  Ipswich,  237. 


54  Historical  Discourse. 

Mr.  Samuel  Langdon  was  ordained  fourth  pastor  of  this 
church  on  the  4th  of  February,  1 747.  The  church  consisted 
at  that  time  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  members,  —  forty- 
eight  males,  one  hundred  and  sixteen  females.  Mr.  Lang- 
don was  born  in  Boston  in  the  year  1722,  was  graduated  at 
Harvard  College,  1740,  and  soon  removed  to  Portsmouth  to 
teach  the  grammar-school.  In  1745  he  went,  as  chaplain 
to  the  regiment  from  New  Hampshire,  on  the  expedition 
which  Sir  William  Pepperell  led  to  the  capture  of  Louis- 
burg.  It  was  soon  after  his  return  from  that  expedition 
that  he  became  assistant  to  Mr.  Fitch. 

Rev.  Dr.  Clark,  one  of  his  successors  here,  in  a  sketch 
of  Dr.  Langdon  in  Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  American 
Pulpit,"  says,  "  As  a  preacher  and  pastor  he  was  much 
respected  and  beloved.  His  sermons  were  prepared  with 
great  care,  and  evinced  no  small  ability.  In  the  Piscataqua 
Association,  consisting  of  twenty-five  highly  respectable, 
and  some  of  them  decidedly  able  men,  he  was  regarded  as 
standing  quite  at  the  head."  In  the  year  175  i,  there  was 
a  powerful  revival  of  religion  in  this  church  and  parish  ; 
and  forty-five  were  added  to  the  church. 

The  Independent  Congregational  Society  was  formed  in 
1757  ;  and  in  1761  Rev.  Samuel  Drown  became  its  pastor. 
This  society  originated  in  a  desire  on  the  jjart  of  some 
members  of  the  North  and  South  churches  for  more  rigid 
terms  of  church-membership  and  more  stringent  disci- 
pline. They  purchased  a  meeting-house  at  Durham,  and 
removed  it  to  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  chapel  of  the 
South  Church,  on  Court  Street.  After  Mr.  Drown,  Rev. 
Joseph  Walton  was  pastor.  Both  these  men  were  emi- 
nently earnest,  devoted  ministers.     Neither  of  them  had 


Historical  Discourse.  55 

received  special  education  for  the  ministry.  The  society 
was  not  large  or  wealth}' ;  and,  at  a  later  day,  Gov.  Langdon 
of  the  North  Church  paid  a  considerable  part  of  Mr. 
Walton's  small  salary.  Soon  after  Mr.  Walton's  death,  in 
1822,  the  society  was  merged  in  the  Calvinistic  Baptist 
Society.  In  1761,  the  meeting-house  of  the  North  Parish 
was  enlarged  by  carrying  the  west  side  back  twelve  feet. 

Jan.  25,  1762,  the  parish  passed  the  following  vote  : 
"  Whereas  it  has  long  been  complained  of,  as  a  great 
Grievance  and  Indecency  as  well  as  an  Imposition  on  this 
Parish  that  the  House  appropriated  for  their  public 
Worship  of  God  which  every  one  attending  that  Service 
there  ought  to  look  upon  with  a  kind  of  Reverential  Awe 
and  Esteem  on  the  Account  of  that  Appropriation  and 
Use,  should  yet  upon  all  occasions  be  made  the  Scene  of 
transacting  the  public  Business  of  the  Town,  and  the  Place 
for  holding  all  the  Town  Meetings  where  frequently 
warm  Debates  and  Contentions  arise  and  such  Passions 
fomented  as  are  very  unsuitable  to  such  a  Place,  and 
which  the  sanctity  and  reverence  due  to  holy  Time  may 
not  always  be  sufficient  reasonably  to  allay,  besides  the 
Damage  done  to  the  Pews,  Seats,  and  other  Parts  of  the 
House.  Therefore,  voted,  that  hereafter  no  public  Town 
Meeting  for  transacting  the  civil  Affairs  and  Business  of 
the  Town  be  permitted  to  be  kept  and  held  in  the  Meeting 
House,  in  this  Parish  in  which  the  Parishioners  usually 
meet  for  the  public  Worship  of  Almighty  God  for  the 
Reasons  above  hinted."  The  next  town-meeting  was, 
however,  appointed  in  the  North  Meeting-House.  The 
door  was  found  locked.  A  moderator  was  elected  upon  the 
doorsteps  ;  and  then,  by  vote,  the  door  was  broken  open, 


56  Historical  Discourse. 

and  the  business  was  transacted  in  the  meeting-house  as 
usual.  But  this  was  probably  the  last  time  that  the  town- 
meeting  was  appointed  or  held  here. 

About  the  year  1764,  Robert  Sandeman  came  to  this 
country,  and  preached  his  peculiar  tenets  ;  and  a  society 
called  by  his  name  was  formed  in  Portsmouth,  which 
existed  for  several  years.  They  erected  a  small  house  of 
worship  on  Pleasant  Street,  nearly  where  the  house  of 
Mark  H.  VVentworth  now  stands. 

Mr.  Whitcficld  was  here  in  1770,  immediately  before  his 
death,  and  preached  one  of  his  last  sermons  on  this  spot. 
On  Sunday,  Sept.  24,  and  Monday  25,  he  preached  in  Dr. 
Haven's  meeting-house.  Tuesday  forenoon  he  preached  in 
"  the  great  meeting-house,"  i.e.,  the  North,  from  the  text, 
"  This  man  receivcth  sinners."  Wednesday  he  j^reached  at 
Kittery,  Thursday  at  York,  Friday  again  at  Portsmouth 
for  the  last  time,  Saturday  at  Exeter;  and  Sunday  morning 
he  died  at  Ncwburyport. 

The  year  1771  completed  one  hundred  years  from  the 
formation  of  this  church  ;  but  I  can  find  no  evidence 
in  church,  parish,  or  town  records,  or  in  the  files  of  the 
New  Hampshire  Gazette  for  that  year,  that  any  notice  was 
taken  of  the  anniversary. 

An  interesting  fact  in  the  history  of  Portsmouth  at  this 
time  may  find  its  place  here,  on  account  of  the  participa- 
tion in  it  of  Gov.  John  Langdon,  a  prominent  member  of 
the  North  Church.  The  king  had  passed  an  order  in  coun- 
cil, forbidding  the  farther  exportation  of  gunpowder  to  these 
colonies.  It  was  well  known  to  the  patriots  of  Portsmouth 
and  the  vicinity,  that  a  large  quantity  of  gunpowder  was 


Historical  Discourse.  57 

stored  at  Fort  William  and  Mary,  now  Fort  Constitution. 
The  report  of  the  king's  order  reached  New  England  in 
December,  1774.  A  plan  was  at  once  formed  at  Ports- 
mouth to  seize  the  gunpowder  in  the  fort.  On  a  moonlight 
evening  a  company,  led  by  Capt.  Thomas  Pickering  and 
Major  John  Langdon,  went  in  a  gondola  at  midnight  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  fort,  waded  ashore,  and,  surprising  the  small 
garrison,  took  possession  of  one  hundred  barrels  of  powder, 
which  they  carried  up  the  river  to  Durham.  There  the 
powder  was  concealed  in  the  cellar  of  the  old  Congrega- 
tional meeting-house.  A  few  weeks  later  the  most  of  it 
was  taken  to  Cambridge,  and  is  said  to  have  been  used  by 
the  patriots  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  This  gallant  and 
successful  exploit,  which  preceded  by  several  months  the 
fight  at  Lexington,  may  claim  to  be  one  of  the  first  acts  of 
the  American  Revolution. 

In  1774,  Dr.  Langdon  was  elected  President  of  Harvard 
College,  and  dismissed  from  his  pastoral  relation  here  on 
the  9th  of  October,  much  to  the  regret  of  the  church  and 
parish. 

The  oppression  of  Great  Britain  was  now  preparing  the 
minds  of  the  American  colonists  for  the  coming  struggle. 
Dr.  Langdon  was  one  of  the  foremost  in  maintaining  the 
rights  of  the  people.  In  1775,  he  preached  the  annual 
Election  Sermon  before  the  Provincial  Congress  of  Massa- 
chusetts. Gen.  Gage  had  control  of  Boston,  and  the 
Congress  was  in  session  in  Watertown.  The  sermon  was 
preached  on  the  31st  of  May,  six  weeks  after  the  first  blood 
of  the  war  was  shed  at  Lexington.  It  breathes  the  most 
earnest  patriotic  spirif*''     By  special  vote,  a  copy  of  it  was 

"  See  the  sermnn  in  Thornton's  Pulpit  of  the  American  Revolution. 
8 


58  Historical  Discourse. 

sent  to  each  minister  in  the  colony  and  to  each  member  of 
the  Congress.  In  1780,  Dr.  Langdon  resigned  the  presi- 
dency of  the  college,  and  the  following  year  was  installed 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Hampton  Falls.  "  In  1788,  he  was 
chosen  a  delegate  to  the  State  Convention,  where  he  mani- 
fested great  ability  as  a  debater,  and  did  much  towards 
removing  the  prejudices  that  then  existed  against  the  Fed- 
eral Constitution."  He  died  Nov.  29,  1797,  having  nearly 
completed  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried 
at  Hampton  Falls. 

Dr.  Langdon  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Rev.  Rich- 
ard Brown  of  Reading,  Mass.  They  had  nine  children, 
four  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  John  K.  Pickering  of 
this  city  is  his  grand-daughter,  and  now  resides  in  the  house 
which  Dr.  Langdon  built  previous  to  1762.  Dr.  A.  P.  Pea- 
body  says,  in  a  private  letter,  "  I  knew,  in  the  early  part 
of  my  ministry,  several  [persons  at  Hampton  Falls]  who 
remembered  Dr.  Langdon.  He  left  his  library  for  the  use 
of  his  successors  in  the  ministry  there.  I  was  quite  familiar 
with  it.  It  indicated  a  man  curious  in  the  more  recondite 
provinces  of  theological  literature,  and  contained  a  good 
many  books  that  I  have  never  seen  elsewhere."  Dr.  Lang- 
don received  his  degree  from  the  University  of  Aberdeen 
in  1762.  He  was  the  first  doctor  of  divinity  in  New 
Hampshire. 

In  1775,  the  population  of  Portsmouth  was  4,590. 

In  1776,  Rev.  David  McClure  was  invited  to  become 
pastor  of  this  church  ;  but  he  declined,  and  was  afterwards 
settled  at  East  Windsor,  Conn. 

The  next  minister,  Rev.  Ezra  Stiles,  D.D.,  makes 
tlie  following  record  in  the  books  of  the  church  :  — 


' 


Historical  Discourse.  59 

"  After  about  twenty  years'  ministry  in  the  Second  Con- 
gregational Cliurch  in  Newport,  R.I.,  it  pleased  God,  that, 
by  the  calamities  and  dangers  of  a  most  unnatural  civil 
war,  my  church  and  congregation  and  myself  should  be 
broken  up,  dispersed,  and  scattered  abroad.  The  provi- 
dence of  God  opened  a  door  for  my  labors  in  the  evangeli- 
cal ministry  and  in  the  pastoral  office,  in  the  First  Church 
in  Portsmouth.  I  came  here,  and  preached  my  first  sermon 
April  6,  1777.  I  removed,  and  settled  here  with  my  family 
May  29.  1777.  At  my  coming  here,  I  found  the  church  to 
consist  of  about  eighty  communicants,  while  the  congrega- 
tion is  said  to  be  two  hundred  and  fifty  families." 

Under  date  of  March  18,  1778,  he  says,  "  The  church  and 
congregation  of  the  First  Parish  in  Portsmouth  having,  by 
their  vote  of  27th  January  last,  given  me  their  unanimous 
call  to  settle  with  them  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  I  re- 
turned them  my  most  respectful  thanks  for  the  honor  and 
affectionate  importunity  shown  me  upon  this  occasion ; 
and  this  day  gave  my  final  answer,  that,  upon  serious 
deliberation  and  extensive  advice,  I  had  concluded  and 
determined  it  to  be  my  duty  to  accept  the  Presidency  of 
Yale  College,  to  which  I  had  been  elected  the  loth  of 
September  last."      His  labors  here  terminated  June  7,  i  TJ%. 

Mr.  Payne  Wingate  preached  for  this  parish  twenty-nine 
sabbaths,  probably  in  the  year  1778. 

Rev.  Joseph  Buckminster  was  ordained  fifth  pastor  of 
the  church,  Jan.  27,  1779.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev. 
Joseph  Buckminster  of  Rutland,  Mass.,  and  was  born  Oct. 
3,  1 75 1.  His  mother  was  a  cousin  of  Jonathan  Ed- 
wards. He  was  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1770,  was 
elected  in  the  Berkeley  foundation  as  one  of  the  three  best 


6o  Historical  Discourse. 

scholars  of  his  class,  and  was  afterwards  tutor  in  the 
college  for  four  years.  Very  persistent  endeavors  were 
made  to  induce  him  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  Second 
Church  in  Hartford  ;  but  he  declined,  and  came  to  Ports- 
mouth. He  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  He  had  a 
strong  and  musical  voice,  of  such  quality  "  that  its  lowest 
tones  could  be  distinctly  heard  in  the  remotest  corner  ot 
the  vast,  old,  double-galleried  meeting-house.  He  could 
take  either  part  in  the  singing ;  and  the  pure,  bell-like 
tones  of  his  voice  could  always  be  distinguished  in  the  full 
choir.  His  appearance  in  the  pulpit  was  dignified  and 
graceful.  His  whole  manner  in  preaching  had  a  peculiar 
pathos,  that  illumined  his  countenance,  and  trembled  in 
the  earnestness  of  his  voice."  It  is  not  strange  that  he 
was  almost  idolized  by  his  people.  Rev.  Dr.  Whiting,  in 
the  sermon  preached  at  the  dedication  of  this  house  of 
worship,  mentions  the  tradition  in  Dr.  Buckminster's  native 
town,  "  that,  when  he  went  year  by  year  to  the  home  of  his 
youth,  the  meeting-house  of  his  father  on  the  highlands  of 
Worcester  County  would  be  crowded,  and  all  the  windows 
filled  by  eager  groups  standing  outside  to  hear  his  marvel- 
lous eloquence."  " 

Two  years  after  Dr.  Buckminster's  ordination,  he  married 
Sarah  Stevens,  only  child  of  Rev.  Dr.  Stevens  of  Kittcry 
Point.  She  was  the  mother  of  Joseph  Stevens  Buckmin- 
ster  and  of  two  daughters.  Her  death,  after  eight  years 
at  Portsmouth,  brought  upon  Dr.  Buckminster  a  severe 
attack   of  the  mental  depression  to  which  he,  like    many 

'*  The  Universalist  Society  in  Portsmouth  was  formed  about  the  year 
17S0.  Their  first  meeting-house  was  built  on  Vaughan  Sireet  ini7S4:  the 
present  church  was  erected  in  1808. 


Historical  Discourse.  6i 

men  of  such  extreme  sensibility,  was  always  subject.  He 
ceased  to  preach  for  a  time,  and  even  discontinued  the 
family  devotions.'" 

After  three  years,  in  1793,  he  married  Mary  Lyman,  the 
daughter  of  Rev.  Isaac  Lyman  of  York,  Me.,  who  became 
the  mother  of  eight  children. 

It  required  much  care  and  economy  to  make  the  salary 
meet  the  expenses  of  so  large  a  family.  But  it  was  Dr. 
Buckminster's  rule  never  to  incur  a  debt.  His  salary  had 
been  adjusted,  at  his  suggestion,  in  a  peculiar  way,  so  that  it 
might  not  vary  with  the  changing  value  of  money  in  those 
days.  He  was  to  receive  "  Such  a  sum  of  money  annually 
as  will  be  sufficient  to  purchase  three  hundred  bushels  of 
Indian  corn,  and  four  thousand  eight  hundred  pounds 
weight  of  fresh  beef  at  the  current  market-price,  as  it  may 
be  settled  in  the  month  of  October  annually."  Corn  was 
then  four  shillings  per  bushel,  and  beef  three  pence  per  pound. 
If  the  prices  should  be  less  in  any  year,  he  was  still  to  re- 
ceive one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds.  He  was  also  to 
have  the  use  of  a  house  and  garden,  the  keeping  of  a  horse, 
twenty-five  cords  of  wood  annually,  and  "  the  free  contribu- 
tion." 

The  church  numbered,  in  the  year  1 802,  ninety-two  mem- 
bers, —  sixteen  males,  seventy-six  females. 

A  Baptist  society  was  formed  in  Portsmouth  in  Septem- 
ber, 1802,  by  the  instrumentality  of  Rev.  Elias  Smith  ;  and 
a   church   was   gathered    in    March,    1803.     The   present 

*''  Dr.  Buckminster  probably  lived  at  first  in  Dr.  Langdon's  house.  The 
parish  paid  the  rent  of  that  house  for  several  years,  and  no  doubt  for  Dr.  B.'s 
use.  In  1792,  the  parish  built  a  parsonage  ne.\t  north  of  Dr.  Langdon's 
house.  It  is  the  same  house  now  occupied  by  the  pastor,  though  no  longer  the 
property  of  the  parish. 


62  Historical  Discourse. 

Christian  church  and  society  worshipping  on  Court  Street 
now  represent  that  society. 

Mrs.  Mary  Buckminster  died  in  the  year  1805,  and 
plunged  Dr.  Buckminster  again  into  the  deepest  grief. 
The  whole  of  the  night  and  day  following  her  decease,  he 
walked  to  and  fro  in  his  study,  so  overcome  with  his  sor- 
row that  even  his  children  feared  to  approach  him. 

His  domestic  affections,  as  might  be  supposed  from  his 
e.xtreme  sensibility,  were  very  strong  and  tender.  He 
entered  with  all  familiarity  into  the  thoughts  and  sports 
of  his  children.  His  daughter  says,  "The  moment  his 
clear  and  musical  voice  was  heard  the  children  were  wild 
with  impatient  joy  to  be  in  his  presence  ;  and  then  the 
infant  was  in  his  arms,  the  smaller  children  were  climbing 
his  knees  ;  and,  in  their  infantile  complaints,  no  one  had 
the  power  of  soothing  like  himself" 

Dr.  Buckminster  married,  in  i8io,  Mrs.  Ladd,  the  widow 
of  Col.  Eliphalet  Ladd.  At  the  same  time  he  left  the  par- 
sonage, and  removed  to  the  house  now  occupied  by  George 
Tompson,  which  was  the  property  of  his  wife.  A  year 
later  he  had  a  severe  illness,  which  left  him  in  a  state  of 
debility  and  mental  depression.  He  preached  with  diffi- 
culty through  the  winter ;  and  on  the  last  sabbath  in  May, 
1 8 12,  administered  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
feeling  that  he  should  never  be  permitted  to  do  so  again. 
On  Tuesday  he  started,  with  his  wife  and  two  members 
of  the  church,  for  Saratoga  Springs.  A  week  later  they 
reached  a  retired  and  solitary  inn  at  Reedsborough,  Vt. 
He  was  extremely  ill  through  the  night,  which  he  spent 
mostly  in  prayer.  In  the  morning  he  said  to  Mrs.  Buck- 
minster, "  My  son  Joseph  is  dead."     She,  supposing  him 


Historical  Discourse.  63 

to  have  been  dreaming,  answered,  "  No  :  he  was  well  a  few 
days  since;  and  we  shall  see  him  when  we  return."  —  "I 
have  not  slept  or  dreamed,"  he  replied  :  "  he  is  dead."  He 
was  right.  The  son  had  died,  in  Boston,  the  evening  pre- 
vious ;  and  the  father  followed  him  before  twenty-four  hours 
had  passed.  He  was  buried  at  Bennington,  Vt.,  Rev.  Dan- 
iel Marsh  of  that  place  preaching  the  funeral  sermon.  A 
week  later,  on  Friday,  June  19,  the  North  Church  was  filled 
with  a  mourning  congregation.  The  pulpit,  the  chandelier, 
and  the  galleries  were  draped  in  black  ;  while  Dr.  Parker  of 
the  South  Church,  the  valued  younger  friend  of  the  deceased 
pastor,  preached  an  appropriate  funeral  discourse  from  the 
text,  "  But  none  of  these  things  move  me  :  neither  count 
I  my  life  dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I  might  finish  my  course 
with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which  I  have  received  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  to  testify  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God." 
(Acts  XX.  24.) 

A  monumental  stone  was  placed  upon  the  grave  at  Ben- 
nington, with  this  inscription  :  — 

"  In  memory  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Buckminster,  D.D., 
pastor  of  a  church  in  Portsmouth,  N.H.,  who  died  sud- 
denly in  this  vicinity,  while  on  a  journey  for  health,  loth 
June,  1812,  atatis  61.  He  was  a  fervent  and  devoted 
Christian,  an  eloquent  and  evangelical  preacher,  a  faithful 
and  indefatigable  pastor,  an  affectionate  son,  brother,  hus- 
band, father,  and  friend.  His  bereaved  people  have  erected 
this  memorial  of  his  eminent  worth  and  of  their  tender 
and  respectful  grief 

"  O  ever  honored,  ever  dear  !  adieu  : 
How  many  tender  names  are  lost  in  yon  ! 
Keep  safe,  O  tonil) !  thy  precious,  sacred  trust, 
Till  life  divine  awake  his  sleeping  dust." 


64  Historical  Discourse. 

Among  Dr.  Buckminster's  parishioners  here  were  some 
men  of  special  note,  of  whom  it  would  be  interesting  to 
speak  if  time  would  permit,  —  Gen.  William  Whipple,  one 
of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  ;  Judge 
William  Parker,  a  deacon  of  the  church,  the  father  of  Bishop 
Samuel  Parker  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  ancestor  of  Hon. 
Jolin  P.  Hale ;  Col.  Eliphalet  Ladd,  to  wliom  we  are  indebted 
for  the  introduction  of  the  pure  aqueduct  water  which  adds 
so  largely  to  the  healthful ness  and  convenience  of  this  city  ; 
his  son  William  Ladd,  afterwards  the  eminent  advocate  of 
peace  ;  Dea.  Amos  Tappan  ;  and  Mrs.  Tappan,  a  sister  of  Dr. 
Buckminster,  whose  unwearied  benevolence  among  the 
poor  and  neglected,  as  well  as  in  other  departments  of 
Christian  labor,  has  consecrated  her  memory  in  many 
hearts  ;  Daniel  Webster,  who  came  to  Portsmouth  in  1807, 
married  in  the  following  year  Grace  Fletcher,  and  com- 
menced housekeeping  in  tlic  house  on  Vaughan  Street, 
opposite  Raitt's  Court,  now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Robert  Gray. 
Mr.  Webster  was  one  of  the  wardens  of  the  North  Parish 
in  the  years  1814  and  i8i5,and  removed  to  Boston  in  1816. 
Rev.  Joseph  S.  Buckminster  has  already  been  referred  to, 
one  of  the  most  gifted  and  scholarly  men  that  New  Eng- 
land has  iinuluced. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Portsmouth  was 
formed  in  1808.  Theirprcsenthouseof  worship  was  erected 
in  1827. 

After  Dr.  Buckminster's  dcatli,  the  cliurch  was  nearly 
three  years  without  a  pastor.  This  arose  from  a  radical 
difference  of  views  in  the  parish,  which  was  nearly  equally 
divided  between  the  evangelical  doctrines  held  by  the 
church,  and  what  was   known    as  "  Liberal    Christianity." 


Historical  Discourse.  65 

Two  ministers  were  invited  to  settle,  but  declined,  —  Rev. 
William  Jenks,  who  became  a  Professor  in  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege, and  Mr.  Matthew  R.  Dutton. 

In  1 8 14,  the  church  and  parish  extended  an  invitation  to 
Mr.  Israel  W.  Putnam  of  Danvers,  Mass.,  to  become 
their  pastor ;  and  after  some  hesitation  on  his  part,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  division  in  the  parish,  he  was  ordained, 
on  the  15th  of  March,  1815.  Some  of  those  who  did 
not  sympathize  with  his  doctrinal  views  left  the  parish  : 
others  remained,  and  became,  in  later  years,  his  firm 
friends.  The  church  was  united  in  sustaining  him  from 
the  first.  The  number  of  the  church  at  the  time  of  his 
ordination  was  ninety-seven,  —  fourteen  males  and  eighty- 
three  females.  Of  the  ninety-seven,  fifteen  were  non-resi- 
dent. The  church  steadily  increased  during  his  ministry, 
and  had  more  than  doubled  its  numbers  when  he  left. 

One  of  the  earliest  enterprises  of  the  church,  after  his 
settlement,  was  the  erection  of  the  Brick  Vestry  on  Fleet 
Street,  which  was  accomplished  largely  through  the  liberal- 
ity of  Gov.  John  Langdon,  an  honored  member  of  the 
church.  The  building  was  dedicated  on  the  6th  of  Au- 
gust, 1817  ;  and  the  fifty-three  years  of  its  religious  history 
mark  a  period  of  rapid  increase  in  the  numbers  and  influ- 
ence of  the  church. 

In  June,  181 8,  a  sabbath  school  was  established  in  the 
Brick  Vestry.  It  was  afterwards  held  in  Jefferson  Hall, 
and  included  the  children  of  the  city,  witliout  respect  to 
denominations.  Dea.  Amos  Tappan  of  this  church  was 
the  first  superintendent,  from  18 18  till  his  death,  in  1821. 
Timothy  Farrar,  also  a  member  of  this  church,  succeeded 
him  as  superintendent.  It  seems  probable,  from  the  early 
9 


66  Historical  Discourse. 

records,  that  other  churches  in  the  city  afterwards  estab- 
lished separate  schools,  and  that  the  original  union  school 
passed  under  the  entire  control  of  this  church.  This,  how- 
ever, was  not,  strictly  speaking,  the  first  sabbath  school  in 
Portsmouth.  Many  years  earlier,  Mrs.  Amos  Tappan,  of 
whom  mention  has  already  been  made,  collected  the  numer- 
ous negro  children  in  town  at  her  house  every  sabbath,  and, 
with  the  aid  of  her  daughters,  gave  them  religious  instruc- 
tion. This  was  continued  for  several  years,  and  constituted 
probably,  the  first  sabbath  school  in  New  England.'" 

The  house  of  worship  of  the  Middle-street  Baptist 
Church  was  erected  in  1828.  The  society  was  formed  a 
year  or  two  earlier. 

In  1827  and  1828,  there  was  a  powerful  revival  of  religion 
in  this  church  and  parish,  which  continued  more  than  a 
year,  and  led  to  the  addition  of  more  than  one  hundred 
members  to  the  church.  The  church  and  congregation 
had  now  become  so  large,  that,  after  careful  deliberation,  it 
was  decided  to  form  a  new  church  ;  and  the  Pleasant-street 
Church  was  organized,  in  September,  1828,  forty  members 
having  been  dismissed  from  this  church  for  that  purpose. 

Rev.  Jared  B.  Waterbury  was  the  first  pastor."  He  was 
dismissed  after  three  years'  service,  and  Mr.  Joseph  H. 
Towne  was  ordained.'"  He,  however,  remained  only  a  year 
and  a  half;  and  Rev.  Parsons  Cooke,  who  succeeded  him, 
was  pastor  less  than  a  year.''^  The  pecuniary  reverses 
of  the  times,  with  other  causes,  hindered  the  success  of  the 

*'•  Mrs.  Lee's  Memoir  of  the  Buckminsters,  p.  44. 
*■  Inst.illed  March  18,  1829  ;  dismissed  March  6,  1832. 
*'  Ordained  June  13,  1832  ;  dismissed  Nov.  7,  1833. 
*'•'  Installed  May  13,  1835  ;  dismissed  Dec.  7,  1835. 


Historical  Discourse.  67 

enterprise;  and  in  1836  (July  i)  the  church  was  dissolved, 
and  the  members  of  it  united  again  with  this  church. 

It  was  in  order  to  facilitate  this  re-union  of  the  churches, 
that  Dr.  Putnam,  in  1835,  resigned  his  position,  and  was 
dismissed  (March  15)  at  the  close  of  just  twenty  years'  ser- 
vice. In  that  period,  three  hundred  and  one  members  had 
been  admitted  to  the  church. 

Dr.  Putnam  was  born  at  Danvers,  Mass.,  Nov.  24,  1786, 
was  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  in  1809,  and  com- 
menced the  study  of  law  at  Salem,  Mass.  Soon  after  his 
conversion,  in  18 12,  the  ordination  at  Salem  of  the  first 
American  missionaries  to  the  heathen  turned  his  attention 
to  the  gospel  ministry  ;  and,  after  prayerful  consideration, 
he  relinquished  his  previous  plans  of  life,  and  entered  upon 
theological  studies  at  Andover.      Tliis  was  his  first  parish. 

After  his  dismission  from  this  church,  he  became,  within 
a  few  months,  pastor  of  the  First  Church  in  Middleboro', 
Mass.,  and  remained  in  that  relation  more  than  thirty  years, 
till  his  death.  May  3,  1868. 

The  First  Freewill-Baptist  Church  in  Portsmouth  was  or- 
ganized Jan.  23,  1832,  and  was  divided  and  scattered  in  1843. 
Feb.  17,  1851,  the  present  Pearl-st.  Freewill-Baptist  Church 
was  formed.     Their  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1859. 

Rev.  Edwin  Holt  was  installed  seventh  pastor  of  this 
church  on  the  2d  of  October,  1836.  He  had  previously 
preached  for  some  months  at  the  Pleasant-street  Church. 

In  the  following  year,  the  old  meeting-house,  which  had 
stood  on  this  spot  more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years,  was  remodelled,  and  fitted  to  serve  the  parish  for 
seventeen  years  longer. 

A  memorable  revival  of  religion  was  enjoyed  under  Mr. 


68  Historical  Discourse. 

Holt's  ministry,  in  the  year  1840,  and  eighty-five  members 
were  added  to  the  church.  Many  of  these  were  heads  of 
families.  Mr.  Holt  was  dismissed  March  2,  1842.  The 
whole  number  admitted  to  the  church  during  his  ministry 
was  one  hundred  and  eighty. 

Mr.  Holt  was  born  in  New  London,  Conn.,  April  17, 
1805,  and  was  graduated  at  Columbia  College  in  1821.  He 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  but  exchanged  that  for 
theology  when  his  religious  life  began,  and  was  ordained 
at  Westfield,  N.Y.,  in  November,  1827.  After  a  ministry 
of  two  years  there,  he  was  for  a  time  Secretary  of  the 
Southern  Board  of  Missions,  and  then  pastor  of  a  church 
at  Macon,  Ga.  After  leaving  Portsmouth,  he  was  pastor  in 
New -York  City,  in  Greenland,  N.H.,  and  in  Madison,  Ind. 
He  died  at  Evansville,  Ind.,  June  26,  1854,  at  the  age  of 
forty-nine  years.  He  was  an  eloquent,  earnest,  and  suc- 
cessful minister. 

The  remaining  five  pastors  of  the  church  are  still  living, 
and  laboring  in  the  ministry ;  and  I-  shall  be  expected  to 
give  only  the  briefest  sketch  of  the  history  of  the  church 
in  these  later  years. 

Rev.  RuFUS  VV.  Clark,  eighth  pastor  of  the  church,  was 
installed  here  Nov.  16,  1842,  and  dismissed  in  November, 
1851.  In  those  nine  years,  one  hundred  and  fifteen  members 
were  admitted  to  the  church  ;  fifty-four  of  them  in  the  year 
1 843,  and  twenty-eight  in  the  year  1 849.  The  whole  number 
of  the  church  at  the  close  of  his  ministry  here  was  three 
hundred  and  forty-five.  Ur.  Clark  is  now  pastor  of  a 
church  in  Albany,  N.Y.  It  is  a  matter  of  regret  to  us  all 
that  he  is  not  with  us  on  this  occasion. 

The  church  was  without  a  pastor  nearly  two  years  after 


Historical  Discourse.  69 

Dr.  Clark  left.  In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1853,  there 
was  unusual  religious  interest  among  the  people.  Rev.  Dr. 
Lyman  Beecher  preached  here  for  eight  weeks,  and  many 
of  the  young  were  led  to  the  Saviour.  Thirty-one  united 
with  the  church  in  that  year. 

Rev.  Henry  D.  Moore,  ninth  pastor  of  the  church,  was 
installed  Aug.  17,  1853.  In  the  year  1854,  the  old  church, 
which  had  stood  for  one  hundred  and  forty  years,  was  taken 
down,  and  the  building  in  which  we  are  now  met  was 
erected  upon  the  same  spot.  The  religious  services  of  the 
society  were  held  in  the  Temple  between  the  time  of  leav- 
ing the  old  church  and  entering  the  new. 

Aug.  7,  1855,  Rev.  Mr.  Moore  resigned  his  position  here, 
and  soon  after  became  pastor  of  a  church  in  Portland,  Me. 
He  has  since  been  settled  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  is  now  pas- 
tor of  the  Vine-street  Church  in  Cincinnati. 

This  house  of  worship  was  dedicated  on  the  first  day  of 
November,  1855  ;  and,  on  the  same  evening,  Rev.  Lyman 
Whiting,  tenth  pastor,  was  installed.  During  his  ministry 
here,  the  great  religious  awakening  of  1858  swept  over  the 
country,  reaching,  with  greater  or  less  power,  every  evangel- 
ical church  in  the  Northern  States.  This  church  enjoyed 
a  share  of  the  blessing,  and  welcomed  forty-two  members 
to  its  fellowship  in  that  and  the  next  following  years. 

Dr.  Whiting  was  dismissed  in  1859.  He  has  since  been 
pastor  of  churches  in  Providence,  R.I.,  in  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
and  in  Janesville,  Wis,,  which  is  his  present  field  of  labor. 

Rev.  William  L.  Gage  became  the  eleventh  pastor  of 
the  church,  Oct.  17,  i860.  His  ministry  here  was  inter- 
rupted by  imperfect  health,  and  continued  only  till  Jan.  24, 
1863.      Mr.  Gage  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College,  in 


JO  Historical  Discourse. 

the  class  of  1853.  He  has  devoted  much  time  to  literary 
pursuits,  and  is  the  author  of  several  valuable  works.  He 
is  now  pastor  of  the  Pearl-street  Church  in  Hartford,  Conn. 

The  present  pastor  was  installed  over  this  church,  June  3, 
1863.  There  was  more  than  usual  religious  interest  in  the 
church  and  congregation  in  the  years  1864-65,  and  sixty-six 
members  were  added  to  the  church  ;  and  also  in  the  years 
1869-70,  when  ninety-three  members  were  admitted. 

In  1870  -the  church,  with  the  aid  of  many  members  of 
the  parish,  erected  a  new  and  commodious  chapel,  which 
was  dedicated  on  the  24th  of  February  of  the  present  year. 
An  honored  name,*  which  it  may  not  bo  allowable  to  men- 
tion to-day,  is  as  closely  associated  with  the  beginning  and 
completion  of  this  chapel,  as  the  name  of  Gov.  Langdon  is 
linked  with  the  building  of  the  Brick  Vestry.  May  God 
grant  to  the  prayers  and  self-forgetting  labors  of  this 
church  lliat  the  glory  of  tlie  latter  house  may  be  greater 
than  tliat  of  the  former!  Little  more  in  this  respect  could 
be  asked  for  the  church  than  that  the  scenes  of  devotion, 
of  penitence,  and  of  faith,  upon  which  the  narrower  walls 
have  looked  down,  may  be  repeated,  in  the  larger  measure 
of  our  multiplied  numbers,  within  the  more  stately  edifice. 

The  whole  number  of  the  names  of  members  of  this 
church  from  the  beginning,  now  standing  upon  its  records, 
is  more  than  seventeen  hundred.  The  lists  are  imperfect, 
in  some  of  the  earlier  pastorates  ;  so  that  it  is  probable 
that  nearly  two  thousand  of  those  who  call  Christ  Lord  and 
Master  have  in  these  two  hundred  years  been  identified 
with  the  body  of  which  we  have  here  traced  the  history. 
The  present  number  of  the  church  is  four  hundred  and  ten. 

'"  Miss  M.iry  C.  Rogers.     Miss  Rogers  died  Aug.  15,  1871. 


Historical  Discourse.  71 

"The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed."  The  heroic  lives, 
the  Christian  self-denial,  of  the  fathers,  drawn  out  into  the 
light  to-day,  send  down  to  us,  the  living  members  of 
the  church,  new  impulses  to  Christian  devotion  and  cour- 
age. They  did  their  work  quietly  and  simply,  in  their  day. 
It  was  not  a  period  of  celebrations  and  reminiscences. 
They  little  anticipated  the  honor  with  which  we  recall  their 
names  at  this  end  cjf  the  centuries.  They  maintained  the 
truth  as  it  had  been  made  known  to  them,  at. cost  some- 
times of  personal  freedom,  at  cost  often  of  the  esteem  of 
men,  but  with  the  sure  gain  of  God's  approval,  and  with 
the  unfailing  joy  of  conscious  loyalty  to  the  truth. 

It  is  a  privilege  to  be  counted  in  such  a  succession.  It 
is  the  easier  to  bear  reproach  for  the  name  of  Christ,  or  to 
resist  the  inward  foes  which  assail  our  Christian  integrity, 
when  our  names  stand  beneath  the  names  of  Moodey  and 
of  Rogers,  of  Cutt,  of  Stileman,  and  of  Haines,  and  their 
successors  in  this  goodly  fellowship,  and  when  the  inter- 
ests of  the  church  which  they  planted  and  nurtured  are 
committed  to  our  fidelity.  A  thousand  sacred  thoughts 
and  tender  recollections  touch  the  hearts  and  re-enforce  the 
faith  of  all  who  join  hands  with  those  good  men. 

The  very  ground  on  which  we  here  stand  is  redolent  of 
■sacred  associations.  In  these  spaces,  through  which  our 
words  and  our  prayers  and  our  songs  echo  to-day,  have 
vibrated  the  utterances  of  faithful  appeal,  of  devotion,  and 
of  praise  through  five  generations  of  worshippers.  Let  the 
appeal  never  be  less  earnest,  or  the  testimony  to  the  truth 
less  faithful !  Let  the  petitions  of  devout  hearts  here  rise 
in  ever-renewed  supplication  !  Let  new  voices,  in  joyful 
love    to    Christ,    take   up   the   strain    of   grateful    praise, 


72  Historical  Discourse. 

till  earthly  worship  shall  give  place  to  heavenly  adora- 
tion ! 

And  now  upon  this  Mother,  who  for  so  many  of  us  has 
nurtured  in  its  bcf!;inning  or  in  its  growth  the  Christian 
life,  to  whom  we  owe  under  Christ  so  much  of  what  we 
are  and  of  what  we  hope  to  be,  and  who  gives  us  to-day, 
in  the  heroic  examples  of  her  cider  sons,  fresh  impulses 
to  Christian  duty  and  devotion,  —  upon  this  ancient  and 
honored  church  we  invoke  the  renewed  affection  of  all  her 
children,  and  the  rich  gifts  of  heavenly  grace.  May  they 
to  whom  it  shall  be  permitted  in  other  centuries  to  enjoy 
her  protection  and  guard  her  interests  catch  the  spirit  of 
her  most  devoted  children,  and  carry  forward  to  larger  and 
higher  successes  that  which  has  been  already  attained  ! 

And  may  He  for  whose  glory,  and  for  the  advancement 
of  whose  kingdom  among  men,  the  Church  exists,  be  pleased 
to  bestow  upon  us,  and  upon  those  who  come  after  us.  His 
constant  guidance  and  benediction  ! 

O  thou  Shepherd  of  Israel,  thou  King  of  Zion,  thou 
Redeemer  and  Saviour  of  men  !  grant  unto  this  thy  church 
the  illumination  of  Wisdom,  and  the  quickening  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  From  generation  to  generation  be  thou  her 
strength.  Let  no  weapon  that  is  formed  against  her  pros- 
per. May  many  sons  and  daughters  arise  up  and  call  her 
blessed !  ,  Let  her  priests  be  clothed  with  righteousness, 
and  let  her  saints  shout  aloud  for  joy. 

So  WE,  THY  PEOPLE  AND  SHEEP  OF  THY  PASTURE,  WILL 
GIVE  THEE  THANKS  FOREVER:  WE  WILL  SHOW  FORTH  THY 
PRAISE    TO    ALL    GENERATIONS. 


SOUThpdJ/II'XI""'^  °'  California 
40f X.ri',e"„^„°'°^*L  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
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Return  this  material  to  the  llbrarv 
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QL0CT17  1^1 
SEP  OSW 


THE  LHJKAKT 

I  OS   A\n»^T,R8 


at  the   celebration  of 
the  two-hundredth  anni- 
vl?ll?y'"B?'  -Bis  Tormff=-^— 


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